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SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE 



t a 



IN FAVOUR OF 



fei^am testimony. 

IN MEETINGS FOR CHRISTIAN WORSHIP, 

IN LETTERS TO A FRIEND. 



BY HARRIET LIVERMORE. 



Jind up the testimony, seal the law among my disci- 
ples. 

ro the law and to the testimony, if they speak not ac* 
cording to this word, it is because there is no light v 
them. Isa. via. 16 & 20. 



PORTSMOUTH, N. H. 



Printed by R. Foster. 
1834. 



*$ 



New-Hampshire District, to ~wU*t 
District Clerks Office. d 

Be it remembered, That on the 12th day of Au- 
gust, A. i>. 1824, and in the forty-ninth year of the In- 
dependence of the United States of America, Harri- 
et LivermorE, of the said District, has deposited in 
this Office the title of a book, the right whereof she 
claims as; Author, in the words following", to wit : 

tfc Script uralT>idence in favor of Female Testimony, 
Ibi Meetings for Christian Worship. In letters to a 
friend. By Harriet Livermore. Bind up the tes- 
timony, seal the law among my disciples. To the law 
smmI to the testimony, if they speak not according to 
this word, it is because there is no light in them. — 
laa. vKi, Iff & 20." 

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United 
States, entitled, u An act for the encouragement of 
learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and 
books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, 
darfog- the times therein mentioned ;" and also to an 
act, entitled, M an act, supple me utary to an act for th e 
encouragement of learning, by securing the copies o f 
Bsaps, charts, and books to the authors and proprietors 
of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, 
5«3H[f extending the benefits thereof to the arts of de- 
signing, engraving, and etching, historical and other 
prints.* 1, 

WILLIAM CLAGGETT, Clerk of the 

District of New- Hampshire. 

A true copy of record. 
Attest, WILLIAM CLAGGETT, ClerJi. 



SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE, &c. 



LETTER I. 

My dear SisUr in the Lord, 

DURING my visit at your hospitable 
mansion last winter, in the course of frequent 
•conversations upon (what is termed) " female 
preaching," you requested me to transcribe 
for you those passages in Scripture, which 
might place the "subject in a favourable point 
of view* I obligated myself in a measure to 
attend to your request. Believe me, dear 
sister, that partial promise has not been for- 
gotten, nor your wishes unheeded by me* 
since my departure from Connecticut. I am 
bound to you by the laws of gratitude, as 
well as christian ties. The unwearied, ten- 
der attentions I received at your house, in a 
season of affliction, by bodily indisposition, 
lean never, I think fade away from my re- 
imembrance, 4 * till sorrow cease to blend 
j with the wandering pilgrim's joy;*'' and my 
weary head rest quietly beneath the uncon- 
jscious sod. It would certainly be to my 
'heart a source of joyful satisfaction, could I 
I pay you any attention demonstrative of my 
'respect for yourself and family* Alas! my 
i power is United by personal and mental weak- 
ness.: and my best endeavours will prove un- 



Answerable to my wishes to serve you. This 
persuasion resulting from an impartial judg- 
ment shall not excuse my pen, since a fear 
that the result of its use, will be deeply tinc- 
tured with female imbecility, affords me no 
lawful repudiation from my promise. 

As you doubtless anticipated receiving this 
in writing, it may be proper for me to give 
tny reasons why it is presented in a differ- 
ent form. To do this I must be indulged with 
liberty in a short preamble. 

After my arrival at my paternal home, in 
March last, I contemplated the commence- 
ment of an epistolary correspondence with 
you, upon the subject of this little book, by 
mail. Accordingly I wrote one sheet, design- 
ing to forward it immediately, as a begin- 
ning; but my mind (for which I could not 
then account) seemed to close against send- 
ing it. Since I came into N. H> on a visit 
to the place where I followed the example of 
my blessed Lord in water baptism, I have 
felt a solemn irppression concerning the sub- 
ject of female public improvement in Gospel 
testimony, so generally considered ludicrous 
and contemptible; and by a majority of the 
professed advocates for Christianity denounc- 
ed against, as anti-scriptural, of course anti- 
christian, utterly improper, and absolutely 
degi to the cause of Zion. Since I part- 

ed with my Connecticut friends, I have pass- 
ed as it were through fire and through water, 



in encountering tl anathemas*' from different 
quarters, as well as receiving the milder sa- 
lute of what (I expect) the kind donors would 
term " faithful christian reproof." Nothing 
my dear sister,in this part of God's heritage is 
equal to " a female's'' travelling the country 
with the testimony of Jesus, for monstrosity 
in schism and heresy, in the judgment of most 
professors of religion. The only quietudes 
to some sincere minds, is a faint hope that 
God will one day appear, and avenge his 
church, bjr confounding these female rebels 
against his apostle's command. 1 Cor xiv. 
87. 1 can say with, an honest heart, that I 
am willing and waiting for the demolition of 
anti-christian modes and usages in the visi- 
ble church of Christ, and if my subject be 
really one of the heretical class, God grant it 
may with speed be overthrown, and eternal- 
ly covered with the impenetrable shades of 
oblivion, till Zion's warfare be fully accom- 
plished, and her militant state is succeeded 
by immortal triumph, and eternal glory. in 
the New Jerusalem, the city of the living 
God! 

At present however, I do not view the sub- 
ject before me, as opposed to the truth as it 
is in Jesus ; nor unfriendly to its influence, 
rise and prosperity. Let scripture be per- 
mitted to speak for itself upon the case before 
us; and a statute of Jehovah respecting the 
daughters of Zion, may be read in Joel's 

E3 



6 

prophecy, 2d chapter 25th verse. But to re- 
turn from the digression* 

I remarked that I have of late felt a solemn 
impression concerning this subject. I 
have earnest ] y desired that a complete 
discovery of the foundation of " female 
preaching," might be made, its authenticity 
proved,' or fallacy exposed. If by the stand- 
ard of christian faith, (the scripture of truth,) 
its right is enstampecl with "thus saith the 
Lord," and u thus it is written," I wish it 
might be cherished and supported through 
all Prince Michael's army, the visible church- 
es. On the contrary, if it is not according to 
the tenor of the bible, and it can be proved 
that blessed book forbids it, I can truly say 
let all Christendom unite in pronouncing its 
doom to eternal banishment from the sacred 
camp. These views and impressions have 
induced me to take a more minute and serious 
survey of scripture ground. I have walk- 
ed slowly over it, trying to view it through 
the telescope of faith ; which brings far dis- 
tant objects near, by whose light good Abra- 
ham saw the promised land, and discovered 
the Messiah's day, a church in Gospel purity, 
what its probable rules and regulations might 
be. 

In this investigation, I am indebted to the 
letter of revelation in the English language, 
with the aid and guidance I humbly trust of 
the spirit of truth. And now my dear sister- 



I will come more, to the point, by saying tha& 
these impressions are accompanied by a man- 
ifestation that I shall receive a blessing in 
venturing on more publicity in attempting a 
scriptural defence of u female speaking," than 
by addressing a written transcript of scripture 
passages as you requested. 1 have therefore 
commenced the undertaking, with prayer to 
Him, who holdeth the stars in his right hand, 
and walketh in the midst of the golden can- 
dlesticks, whose eyes are as a flaming fire, 
and his voice like the sound of many waters, 
that he will preserve me from indicting ought 
that may wound the cause of Zion, entreat- 
ing that the accomplishment of this little work 
if it should prove no benefit might at least be 
^neutrally harmless. 

Others, my dear Julia, have felt doubts 
and queries in their minds, respecting my 
subject,similar to what you have experienced; 
and as anxiously desired to u know the truth 
for themselves ;" and freedom from tradition- 
ary bondage. To many humble sincerely 
devoted children of God, and joint heirs with 
Christ, this little work will be very accepta- 
ble, while to others and real saints too it will 
appear like a root out of dry ground, destir 
tute of order, light or savour ; and some char- 
acters in standing upon gospel ground as they 
suppose, but I fear very remote from the true 
v inp. the richtonns Rnnrli will cr^i,™ if f>-.-.rv 



3 

I am persuaded that you, my dear sister, 
will readily acquit me in your own mind, of 
^any intended wrong in this proceedure. In 
discussing the subject before me, I am insen- 
sible of feeling any or the least opposition to 
order, regularity and decency in meetings fot 
the worship of GOD. I am deceived in my- 
self, very grossly deceived, if I am offering 
this to the public litigieusJy,br with a design to 
injure the feelings of sincere christians, who se 
opinion may diner from mine. I wish not to 
bind a brother, or a sister's conscience, " that 
to God alone is free." I love pure Gospel 
liberty. Lord Jesus ever preserve me from 
abusing it to licentious purposes, or using it 
for a eioak of maliciousness. 

To thee, to thee, my gracious God, 
I lift my heart, and raise my crie3, 

O guide me by thy sacred word, 
r ihou ever glorious, just and wise! 

Direct my heart, my eye, my pen, 
While I the sacred page may scan, 
To prove my theme by thee approv'd, 
That females by thy spirit movM, 
May preach the name by Mary lovM, 
Jesus, the humble sinner's Friend ! 

And now my dear Julia, methinks I see 
you and other dear W. friends, glancing an 
anxious and tearful eye, over these pages so- 
licitous on my account, lest the subject resist 
my feeble powers, and withering as 1 touch, 
becomes to the view of critics, like stubble 



II 



tide's return, a single wave will insttmtly 
consign to oblivion. Alas! in the world we 
bow inhabit, have we not cause to fear, are 
existing in human bodies, such miserable 
souls, who are located for longconunued and 
repeated rejection of the humbling truths ot 
scripture, in just, yet awful judgment, al- 
ready very near the suburbs of hell ! 

I drop my pen for the present* 

LETTER II. 

THE sabte curtain of night is again with ? 
drawn by a divine hand ; and reveals the 
face of ro y moraing. This rolling orb has 
begun his daily circuit through the skies* 

O like the sun may I fulfil, 

The appointed duties of the day, 

Begin my work betimes, and still 
March on the heayenly way. 

Through the goodness and mercy of God 3 
my life is still preserved, the brittle thread 
apparently attenuated by a long course ot 
HI health, is not yet severed by death's point- 
ed lance. How gracious, how kind the hand 
that upholds me in a militant state, and gives 
me daily desires to work ®ut my salvation 
with fear and trembling, believing it is God 
who worketh in me both to will and to do <d 



12 

M My God ! let all my hours be thine, 

" V\'hile I enjoy the light, 
ct Then shall my sun in smiles go down, 

" And bring -a pleasant night.'" 

I ask a licence, my dear sister, for resum 
irig my pen in the preambling order ; ana 
will now endeavour to pursue a more direct 
path, til! I attain to such proportions of scrip- 
tin ground, as ai e freely legated, and divine- 
ly secured to female labourers in the Lord's 
v -yard, by the saered inspirer of the bles- 
■sc ■■■": volume, " The sure word of prophecy," 
C ']ory to God, came not by will of man, but 
by the power of the Holy Ghost. And " all 
scripture i c given by Almighty inspiration ; 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
correction, for instruction in righteousness, 
able also to make us wise unto .salvation, 
through faith which is in Christ Jesus." — 
And to continue the apostle's declaration, 
a whatsoever tkings were written aforetime, 
were written for our learning, that we through 
patience and comfort of the scriptures 
might have hope." O may our minds never 
be beguiled by the subrilty of satan from the 
simplicity of truth,, contained in this precious 
word; nor blindly give heed to fables, and 
endless genealogies, which engender strife 
and minister unprofitable questions, rather 
than godly edifying which is in faith. Let us 
adopt king David's language, and pray as he 
prayed* " Open thou mine eves O God. 



13 



that I may behold ponderous things out of 
thy law. Order my steps in thy word, and 
let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 
I am a stranger and pilgrim in the earth, hide 
not thy commandments from me. The en- 
trance of thy word giveth light,"' adds the 
Psalmist, " and giveth understanding -unto 'he 
simple. Thy testimonies I have taken as ..n 
heritage forever, for they are the joy and 
rejoicing of my heart." 

As I am about to commence close engage- 
ment, a saying of an ancient Prophet, is pow- 
erfully presented to my mind ; and I am con- 
strained to transcribe the same verbatim- 
i; break up the fallow ground ; and sow not 
! among the thorns," The application at pres- 
ent to me, is this. In attempting a scriptur- 
al defence of female preaching, it i* necessary 
first to prepare a way of access to minds hedg- 
ed in by unbelief on the .subject, by certain 
■ passages of Paul's indicting, which are con- 
stantly resorted to by objectors, wherein 
they suppose their great strength lies. By 
this allusion and the term « fallow," I would 
by no means insinuate that the ground occu- 
pied by that great apostle,. was uncultivated 
or barrec ; and overgrown with useless thorns. 
No, I mean as I advanced in the preceeding < 
sentence, minds, whose soil is chained by 
.he wintry influence of prejudice, where the. 
/erdant plant of universal chanty cannot 
Sourish. I do not intend to arrogate to 



mv 
•i 



14 

self, that special influence, which is the right- 
ful prerogative of Jehovah, whose power 
alone can soften and subdue the mind. By 
preparing a way of access, I had in view to 
use Paul's own expressions, as a key to un- 
lock the door of hearts hitherto fast closed 
against the subject in question. 

When a statute is made, or a command- 
ment given, it is natural and common to no- 
tice the character and station of the Lawgiv- 
er. In the case just before us, there is no 
hesitancy concerning its authority on the 
ground of Paul's character and office. 1. A 
servant of Jesus Christ. An apostle by the 
will of God, who preached the everlasting 
Gospel, in demonstration of the spirit and 
the power of the Holy Ghost Sent down from 
heavjen. 2. His labors and sufferings for the 
truth's sake w r ere abundant above his con- 
temporaries in the blessed work of evange- 
lizing the eastern nations ; and who sealed 
his testimen'y with his blood. 3. This faith- 
ful defendant of the christian faith was a 
chosen vessel unto God, "to bear his name be- 
fore the Gentiles, and kings and children of 
Israel. 1 ' He was instrumental in planting 
the Gospel vine, watering the same with his 
tears, prayers and paternal watch and coun* 
sel. At Corinth a famous city of Achaia, 
styled the glory of Greece, Paul preached 
the heavenly doctrines of the cross. For the 
splice of eighteen months with eminent stfc- 



id 

cess, which excited the malice of the Jew^ 
who with one accord made insurrection a- 
gainst the apostle and brought him to the 
judgment seat. This persecution however, 
fastened no disgrace upon his character at 
Corinth, effected no abridgement of his la* 
bours, nor hastened his departure from -the. 
place.. He tarried at Corinth a good while 
after the tumult raised on his account, took 
leave of the brethren in peace, sailed into 
Syria reasoned with the Jews at Ephesus, 
visited the churches at Cesarea and Antioch r 
sounded free salvation through all the coun- 
tries ofGalatiaandPhyrgia in order, strength- 
ening all the disciples. His extensive travels, 
incessant exertions, multiplied afflictions, and 
narrow escapes from " deaths oft," could not 
efface from his remembrance nor discharge 
his mind from the care of his children in the 
faith at Corinth. His anxiety for the safety,. 
peace and happiness of that Church is ar- 
dently expressed in two lengthy epistles ad- 
dressed to them from Philippi, in which are 
displayed the feelings of his independent 
jaaind, untainted with slavish fear of man, and 
highly dignified by that zeal for his mas- 
ters cause, which urged him forward to mar- 
tyrdom and glory. It appeal's from the con- 
tents of the 1st chapter of his epistle, Paul 
had received some information respecting 
their spiritual state at Corinth, that excited 
fa his faithful bosom, the mingled emotions of 



16 

tear, grief and displeasure, not of a carnal 
nature; but of a spiritual kind. It appears 
in his absence, the bond ^of peace, the uni- 
ty of ^ the spirit, was .unhappily lost, 
and divisions and contentions entering the 
sacred camp, threatened ruin to the spiritual 
house raised at Corinth by the mighty pow- 
er of God. Paul commences his labor with 
a Gospel salutation, thanks the Lord for his 
manifestations of grace mercy and power 
among them, entreats them by the sacred 
name of Jesus, to live in peace, and declares 
to them, the emptiness and worthlessness of 
high attainments, and brilliant gifts, if desti- 
tute of heaven born charity. In the eleventh 
chapter of his first epistle, the holy man with 
confidence and authority calls upon them to 
be followers of him, even as he also is of God, 
and commends their remembrance of him., 
and attention to the ordinances of the Gospel, 
jet blends reproof and counsel with the com- 
mendation ■; and with special reference to the 
Lord's supper, which solemn act of commem- 
orating the Saviours passion, had by some 
unworthy persons at Corinth been converted 
into revelling and drunkeness. From 
the 4th to the 13th verse, the apostle 
gives direction concerning praying and pro- 
phesying, in which women are not forbid to ' 
pray and prophesy ; but not with their heads 
uncovered. The 1 1-th verse intimates a mu- 
tual dependance ir the Church of Christ 



IT 

resting on either sex, while the last clause of 
the 12th, gives all the result to God, who is 
indeed the great first cause, and last end of 
all things. The 12th chapter, treats upon 
spiritual gifts, their diversity as to outward 
form and propriety ; but united in one and the 
self same spirit, andin operation for the same 
cause the apostle in a figure describes ?he 
mystical body of Christ, his church, purchas- 
ed by his own blood, as possessing hand, 
foot, head eye, &,c. all necessary, none to 
be despised. Now I can never for one mo- 
ment, my dear sister, entertain so cruel a sur- 
mise against this eminent apostle of the 
lamb, as a design to separate our sex from 
this spiritual and now suffering body. It 
does not appear to me at all probable that 
Paul, when he addressed the Corinthian be- 
lievers h^ld a contrary mind to his views ex- 
pressed to the church at Galatia, the year 
preceding to which he wrote thus, "For ye 
are ALL children of God by faith in Christ 
Jesus. For as many of you as have been 
baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. — 
There is neither Jew no~ Greek, there is 
neither MALE nor FEMALE, for ye are all 
one in Christ Jesus. n Paul was not one who 
would readily set about to build the things he 
had been trying to destroy. He loved lib- 
erty in the gospel of Jesus ; but he dreaded 
buse to serve the carnal, lustful mind of 
hah hearted professors, who refused to wear 

S 



18 

the yoke of self-denial. To return to the 1 2lk 
chapter ; the apostle says, " there are many 
members but ope body." And again, by re- 
versal, "the body is not one member but ma- 
ny." Again, as the body natural is one, and 
hath many members, and all the members of 
that one body, being many, are still one body, 
so also is Christ. His mystical body, the 
church, is one, composed of many members; 
and each member has its ©ffice as in the 
members of these clay bodies, which now 
bear about our precious souls. I have con- 
fidence in the dear apostle, that he never in- 
tended to disjoint the body of Christ, for 
the purpose of casting away from the labor 
and use, and privileges of that body, the hon- 
est and faithful daughters of the Lord Al- 
mighty. Nay, he regards those members of 
the body, which seem to be more feeble, as 
necessary for service, and sums up the whole 
matter in this language. " Now ye are the 
body of Christ, and members in particular." 
I pass to the 14th chapter, that contains the 
apostle's supposed interdiction, against fe- 
male speaking, or preaching, as it is called. 
This chapter w r as certainly very peculiarly 
interesting to the Corinthian church, as suit- 
ed to their situation, from the 2d to the end 
of the 23d verse ; the subject relates to a 
gift then in operation, w T hich at present is en- 
tirely unknown in the Christian churches, 
viz. " the gift of tongues." Paul in the pre» 



19 

ceding chapter, foretold its decease, it has 
long since been fulfilled, they were for a sign 
and endured but for a season, since the effect 
so wonderful a gift appeared to produce, was 
spiritual pride in its recipients, of all the hy- 
dra the most awful. I-grant, however, that 
this chapter should be read, and respected as 
a portion of Scripture, not altogether the 
property of the church to which it was prim- 
arily addressed, but in many respects suited 
to the state of Christ's church at the present 
day. Would to God, every public teacher 
of religion in America, yea, through all tb- 
world, were constrained to follow clearly lle 
dear apostle in the 1 5th verse. If this * ere 
the case, and the churches under sue 1 disci- 
pline, formal heartless ceremoni^ would 
cease. If every professed dis x P* e would 
be governed by the principle c^ ltaine< i in the 
20th verse, ignorant, carele> s ? contentious 
characters would become-neasurabiy wise 
and amiable. 

'But to return. In ^e 34th verse, Paul 
wrote to the CorintMans, " Let your women 
keep'silence in tte churches ; for it is not 
permitted unto mem to speak, but they are 
commanded to be under subjection, as also, 
saith the lawP I am free my dear Julia, from 
any fear of the passage before my eyes, and 
willing to render the reasons why, suggested 
to my understanding, by drawing compar- 
isons from other parts of scripture, and giv- 
C 



20 

ing also, what I sincerely believe was the 
apostle's meaning,when he wrote the passage. 
It will however, best suit my purpose, to 
commence with the last clause in the verse, 
w As also saith the law." This circumlocu- 
tion, I beg you will excuse r with every other 
defect, since I still abide by my determina- 
tion, to do the best I can in giving you a 
transcript of scriptural evidence in favor of 
female improvement in the gospel of Christ. 
I must however, cease from writing, for the 
resent, compelled by fatigue. 

I am your's sincerely. 



\ LETTER III. 

\ 
I resume my^en, w i t h a willing mind, ta 

pursue my subject. This morning the air is 
delightful, a variety of objects meet my view,, 
and appear joined in concert, most sweetly 
to praise the hand that^ade all the wheels 
of nature first, and keeps C*em still in motion. 
I am now situated just by the sea shore ; here 
I behold a grand display of the majesty and 
power of God, his wonders in the deep— I 
rise early in the morning for the purpose of 
inhaling the refreshing saltireeze, which is 
strongly recommended by medical friends, 
as salutary to my debilitated frame. I as- 
Sure you, my dear sifter, that my mind k afc 



21 

ready benefited, by the prospect around me ; 
the glowing sun emits his sparkling rays up- 
on the whitened bosom of the rolling waters, 
and is a faint emblem of those brighter 
beams, which dart from the Morning Star, 
upon the crystal river proceeding out of the 
eternal throne. This sun I now behold, will 
set one day to rise no more, but Jesus the 
morning star, the gun of righteousness, will 
shine on that pure river, that waters Para- 
dise, so long as the throne of God endures. 
As I gaze, my heart pants, for. preparation 
and fitness, and liberty to leave this dull 
clog of clay, and all terrestial beauty, which 
must eventually perish, and go where Jesus 
is gone, to behold his glory, the glory which 
he had with his Father before ever the world 
was. John xvii. 5. I feel myself to be a 
poor ignorant being, understanding compar- 
atively very little indeed about God : " such 
knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, 
I cannot attain unto it. It is high as heaven, 
deeper than hell, in measure longer than the 
earth, and broader than the sea." I have 
neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowl- 
edge of the holy. Who hath ascended up 
| in to heaven, or descended ? who hath gath- 
ered the wind in his fists ? who hath bound 
'the waters, or given to the ocean a perpetu- 
al decree, saying, thus far shalt thou come, 
but no farther ; and here shall thy proud 
^vaves be stayed." In all my meditations 
€2 • 



22 

up6n the being, and character of God, my 
mind is lost in wonder, and separate a mo- 
ment from the mild Mediator that wonder is 
blended with an awful dread. One look in- 
to the Bethlehem manger, revives my cour- 
age, and by faith I can see, from my Re- 
deemer^ cradle to his cross, the footsteps of 
a God of love. O let us pray more, for that 
knowledge of the holy one, which Christ de- 
clared was eternal life. 

Now to my proper subject, I am first to 
attend to the apostle Pa«Ps quotation to the 
law, in verse 34 of the 14th Chapter of the 
1st epistle to the Corinthians. " As also 
saith the law." Here, my dear sister, I am 
happily situated ; in the first place, although 
I ana desirous of being a disciple in the New 
Testament school, and consider the abroga- 
tion of the ceremonial law ^i distinguished 
blessing, yet I never experienced an immer- 
sion in spiritual baptism, that buried me be- 
yond *he reach of Ac moral law of God, con- 
tained in the old Testament, The great Sa- 
viour of lost and perishing souls, by whose 
name alone we mits* be saved, honoured his 
Father's hw, as was foretold of him, he 
magnified it 2nd made it honorable. Tsa. xlii, 
20. How faithfully be expounded the mor- 
al law given to ancient Israel, through Mo- 
ses, as mediator, by his Father ! How per- 
fect a transcript of its holiress, justice and 
goodness, was his spotless life ! and what aa 






exemplification of the value placed upon the 
law in the eternal mind, was his ignominious 
•and cruel death, by which alone the penalty 
due to its offenders could be i>aid f The 
passage in question, however J$ias I appre- 
hend, immediate reference to me law given 
by the month of God, to Eve, after her re- 
bellion in Eden. Paul's reference, was pro- 
bably to the last clause of the 16th verse, of 
the 3d chapter of Genesis. I feel very com- 
placent toward it my dear Julia, and wist 
my sex to remember the command, and sub- 
fc init to the divine will in this decree, a he 
shall rule over thee ;" and I have a strong 
determination within myself to obey ; and 
•whenever the whole of male Christendom 
shall forbid women to open their lips in meet- 
ings for christian worship, a seal is put upon 
mine : but as long as I can find a branch of 
Christ's church free upon the subject, and I 
feel the testimony roll through my soul, I 
pray God to strengthen me to proclaim my 
Saviour's love to sinners, rehearse the terms 
of the gospel, and exhort my dear fellow be- 
ings to yield obedience to him ; and this 1 
call being in subjection to God and man. — 
But as our beloved brother Paul has refer- 
red so particularly- to the law, making, it 
seems, no new statute but enforcing the old, 
I can say, 2dly, 1 am happily situate^, be- 
cause, under the dispensation of the law, 
females were honored with distinguish^! 

C3 



"Pi 



arranrfcstations of divine regard ; and tTiis 
<from the beginning of the Creation of this 
world, f shall take the liberty to go. back 
«as far as I possibly can, and take possession 
<of the fust spot of ground I may find, that will 
bear the weight of evidence in favor of fe- 
male interest in God's esteem a»d favor. — 
But in the first place, I give this challenge as 
universal ; examine the whole of the Old 
Testament, search every dividend of the 
three great branches of Jehovah's law, mor- 
al, judicial and ceremonial, and if possible, 
produce a single passage that intimates to 
woman, thou shalt not -speak in my name, 
^saith thy God.. If any person were to an- 
swer me, that ministering in the old taberna- 
cle, was confined to the tribe of Levi, i 
should not conceive this against me, because 
Moses did not say, your women must not 
serve God ; but more of thi-s by and by. 

Now let us ttirn to the revelation concern- 
ing the origin of this frail, despised sex, call- 
ed the weaker vessel."— To the law and its 
witnesses. 

In the beginning, God created man in his 
own image, in the imago of God, created he 
him, male and female created he them. Gen. 
i. 27. It is written that the Lord God form- 
ed man out of the dust of the ground. The 
most humble, or I might say, the meanest ar- 
ticle of the six day's creation, was chosen 
•for (lie archetypal of the body ef man, smaS 



particles of earth, by volition and power of 
the august Architect of the universe, were 
transmuted, and produced a body, into which 
the Lord God infused a living soul, by his 
own spirit. Then God planted a delightful 
garden, placed the man there to dress and 
keep it, gave him every desirable privilege $ 
nnd also a law, with its penalty if broken. — 
It was shortly determined in the Infinite 
mind, that a second creation of a rational in- 
telligent order, was necessary for the com- 
fort and usefulness of this lonely mortal in 
Eden r s blooming inclosure. Accordingly it 
is announced " It is not good for man to be 
alone ; I will make" what saith the Lord 
God ? a servant, to sit at the feet of man, 
and do him homage ? or a slave to perform 
all his task, in dressing the garden, and pre- 
serving order among the rich variety of 
plants and shrubs, the trees and vires, that 
were of God's implanting, while his fair, heal- 
thy and strong nerved body, reposed in some 
<rool arbour in Paradise, regaled at his ease 
with the soft carol of celestial songsters, 
wooed thither from the upper Eden, to 
chaunt praise over the yet unmarred product 
of their own maker's power -and skill ? No — 
I will make, saith God, an help meet for him* 
<5en. ii. 1£. Observe the title given to the 
then uncreated fair, by the blessed maker of 
all things. "A help meet" — un equal — a 
partner — a companion — an assistant. I re- 

C4 



'26 

ally wish this subject was duly attended tea 
by each respective connection in their age* 
Then husbands would honour the wife — the 
wife reverence her husband, the brother re- 
spect his sister, and the latter her brother, 
&c. To return — we must attend to the cre- 
ation of the nlan's expected bride* Now the 
ground upon which he treads, is not used, a 
fcone of that bright form, in whose unsullied 
veins as yet, no earthly current moves, laid 
the foundation for a. superstructure, that 
should exhibit a cherub's bloom, and charm 
his manly soul to softest sympathy and ten- 
derest love. This lovely piece of clay was 
quickened by an affusive act of the same di- 
vine breath, which made the man a living 
soul, and presented to him for a help meet in 
Eden's blooming garden. Thus closed the 
w r ork of creation. Woman was the latest 
offspring of omnipotence. And this is the 
3jooq of the generation of Adam. In the 
day that God created man, in the likeness of 
God made he him, male and female created 
he them,, and blessed them in the day when 
they were created, and called their name 
Adam. It must be conceded, that in a state 
of insocency, there was a perfect equality 
between the sexes. By their disobedience 
they incurred a several punishment, and sus- 
tained a common loss. Beguiled by the sub- 
tlety of lucifer in a serpent's disguise, the 
Ionian when absent from her companion* 



2* 

eonsea^ed to try the taste and effect of the 
prohibited fruit. Alas ! she was awfully de- 
ceived by the malicious foe to her innocence 
sand peace, and gave tiiis fallen cherub an op- 
ijportunity to exult over creation's woe ! We 
| are sensible of Eve's lamentable defection.. 
and mourn her aggravated guilt in tempting 
Adam the first, the grandest object of God's 
creation, to follow her wicked example, we 
cannot refuse to pity his weakness, in listen- 
ing to the feeble voice of a female, not so old 
and experienced as himself, which called 
upon him to commit an act, forbid by his 
Maker, while his fair enticer was in his side 
a silent rib. For one, 1 am rather inclined 
to be wroth with Adam, for his neglect of 
and absence from the fair being lately pre^ 
rented him by the Lord God, whose com- 
panion it was designed he should constantly 
be- It was his duty to watch overhand pro- 
tect her from harm, if there could be such a 
i thmg apprehended in their innocent state* 
2Towever not to become monotonous beyond 
endurance, I will notice their deserved sen- 
fence, which I hope will re-introduce me to 
my subject* or to a gentle slope toward it ; 
for I am become tedious to myself. The dis- 
covery of their offence is immediately suc- 
ceeded by a righteous sentence, to punish* 
merit for their joint crime, to Eve first ad- 
ministered as the precedent in guilt ; for I 
#d'iiot intend to notice the serpent, yet I 

C5 



28 

necessarily must, since the threatened veii- 
geance his .just due, was auspicial of final 
deliverance from woe to the race of Adam. 
To Adam the Lord God assigned toil and 
care through life, with the pangs, of death* 
To the woman, sickness and pain, subjection 
to man's controul, and multiplied sorrows. — 
In this cup of woe, which was now proffered 
to the guilty pair, was mingled a cordial mer- 
cy drop, to keep them from despair the 
promised seed, which should bruise the foul 
tempter's head, and lay him deep in hell for- 
ever ! We find very little account in Scrip- 
ture of Adam and Eve ; after this they be- 
came parents, and apparently suffered severe- 
ly, because the dignity of their family was 
marred with fratricide and banishment. The 
best passage 1 can find which relates to the 
first pair, is Eve's acknowledging Abel's 
birth as a gift from the Lord. Shall I take 
the liberty to say, that I view poor Adam in 
the fall (as it is named) sunk quite as low as 
his companion ? I think he is. Nov/, though 
no promise is addressed to him particularly 
I am willing they should rise together ; and 
in Christ the promised seed, enjoy spiritually 
under the Gospel, what they would naturally, 
if the first command (thou shalt not eat, &c.) 
had never been violated, mutual blessings, 
equal rights, and united christian privileges. 
And I am also, entirely willing, that man 
should retain without molestation, all the rule 



29 

&nci authority which he can justly claim in 
righteousness, over households, churches and 
nations, and desire every female to say amen. 
But I do feel reluctant to any cowardly re- 
treat on the female part from legal ground 
granted by God, arid anciently occupied and 
cultivated by pious, wise and courageous 
women. 

We will leave Adam&nd Eve now T , quietly 
!io occupy their portion of dust, till the last 
loud trumpet sound, and travel further on 
scripture ground, to see w 7 hat entertainment 
women receive under the law, and how they 
behave. Nine successive generations pass 
over the stage of action, and the tenth intro- 
duces a very remarkable character, in w r hose 
day astonishing events take place. When 
God saw that the wickedness of man was 
great upon the earth, and that every imagina- 
tion of his heart was only evil continually, it 
repented the Lord that he had made man up* 
on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 
And the Lord said, I will destroy man, whom 
I have created, from the face of the earth, 
both man and beast, and the creeping things, 
and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me 
that I have made them. But Noah found 
grace in the eyes of the Lord. The destruc- 
tion threatened, did not immediately descend 
upon the guilty inhabitants of the old world,. 
God endured with much long suffering, their 
f?ievQU3 sins. At length the deluge came^ 



30 

and swept away a world lying in wickedness, 
with only a reserve of eight human souls. — 
In this salvation we discover an equal distri- 
bution of divine merey to male and female, 
,ere the fountain of the great deep was broken 
up, and the windows of heaven were opened 
and the rain poured upon the earth, Noah 
entered the ark prepared in obedience to God 
for the saving of his house, with his wife, his 
three sons, with their wives, and every beast 
after his kind, and all the cattle after their 
kind, &c &c. two and two of all flesh, where- 
in is the breath of life. And they that went 
in, went in male and female of all flesh, as 
God had commanded ; and the Lord shut 
|hera in. 

Perhaps to many persons there appears no 
connection between this solemn transaction 
and the particular subject 1 aim to vindicate. 
A careless reader might say, as a certain 
formalist did not long since, concerning a 
child of God, who had been crying down 
youthful pride and vanity in testimony "the 
woman meddles with things that do not be- 
long to her." But you my dear sister will 
ac;ree with me, that the ark w T as typical of 
Christ, and the eight human souls constituted 
his visible church, small indeed in compari- 
son with the multitudes lately overwhelmed 
in the deluge ; but God is a sovereign, and a 
just one also— he gives account of his matters 
to none, 



M 

'& Deep in unfathomable mines, 

Of never failing skill, 
He treasures up his bright design, 
And works his secret •will." 

These eight persons, preserved from present 
and temporal ruin, I believe constituted (hf 
church of God ; small as it was, we find it war 
not free from offence. One of it members 
for very unnatural and unfeeling behaviour* 
towards his father, is loaded with a heavy 
curse : And alas ! even the aged patriarch 
wa» overtaken by temptation in the vale of 
years. How frail is man ! in his best estate 
altogether vanity ! But I must endea-vcur to 
adhere more closely to my proper subject. 
In this little Church, there is evinced an equal 
regard to the sexes, male and female. Now 
certainly there was an opportunity for a dis- 
play of righteous sovereignty, if the Divine 
Glory had (speaking after the manner of 
inen) a prospect of great advancement by the 
instramentality of males only ; and women 
w r ere not allowed to co-operate with them in 
public service, the Almighty could easily 
have supplied his church with male servants, 
even if he resorted to the stones or stumps, 
io produce them ; for John Baptist in his day 
told the Jews that God w r as able to do such 
things. See Matt, iii, 9. If men are esteem- 
ed so far before women in the judgment of 
God, who knoweth all things, why did he not 
save in the ark, seven men, and only cne 
woman ? The equation in number of oaA 



; 32 

sex in the salvation, teaches mc, that God 
held to his primary purpose, which was, that 
woman should be an help meet for man, and 
not a servant or slave. In a state of inno- 
cency man was doing God's work, and Eve 
was given to him for an assistant in that ser- 
vice. In Gospel grace, certainly an equal 
providence is over mortals, and in this vine- 
yard is work enough for all, and none are to 
be excused. I feel a sweet peace in my 
heart, my d^ar sister, when I am willing to 
labor in the Lord, and endeavour to be active 
in his blessed cause. While I blush and am 
ashamed of my own unworthiness, I think I 
can say, I glory in the cross of Christ, by 
whom the world is crucified unto me and I 
unto the world. Farewell. 



LETTER IV. 

NOAH fell asleep in the nine hundred and 
fiftieth, or fifty-first year of his age, and his 
name is enrolled in the list of worthies, who 
died in the faith. Nine generations from him 
passed over the stage of human life, without 
any remarkable visitation of grace and glory 
to the human family, discovered to us by 
written revelation. The tenth introduces 
Abraham, who becomes the father of a mul- 
titude With him the Lord entered into 



33 

special covenant, and his seed after hina.-~ 
The apostle to the Hebrews in the 6th Chap, 
represents the strength of this covenant, e- 
qual to the foundation of the eternal throne* 
It was framed with an oath to Abraham, the 
same confirmed unto Isaac, and insured unto 
Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an ever- 
lasting covenant. Is there no attention paid 
to the " weaker vessel," in this important 
transaction ? What saith God to Abraham, 
after he had changed his name, from Abram 
(a high father) to Abraham (father of a mul- 
titude,) and enjoined upon him the rite of 
circumcision? Read verse 15 and 16 of the 
17th Chap, of Genesis. «■ And God said un- 
to Abraham, as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalfc 
not call her name Sarai (my dame) but Sarah 
(princess) shall her name be, And I will 
bless her, and she shall be a mother of na^ 
tions, kings of people shall be of her." A« 
braham was to be father, and Sarah a moth-* 
er of nations, a blessed equality. Abraham'^ 
son and successor in the church, was a sub- 
ject of promise ere he was born : in the 
same grace was his wife Rebekah interest- 
ed, with a prophetic energy surely, the 
brethren of the fair Rebekah, pronounced a 
parting blessing, when she was about to de« 
part from her native country : Gen. xxiv, 60» 
" Be thou the mother of thousands of mil- 
lions, and let thy seed possess the gate of 
those which hate them. n No doubt can be 



34 

^entertained of their reference to the Messiah. 

In pursuing scripture history in quest of 
further evidence of God's favorabJe notice of 
females, we discover nothing very special, 
till we arrive at the rivers brink, where lay 
a lovely babe in its rush cradle, weeping 
from a sense of hunger and cold. A young 
Egyptian Princess was the honored instru- 
ment of saving the life of this Hebrew babe* 
Its infantine sorrowful state, so deeply affect- 
ed her heart, that to appearance her father's 
cruel edict was forgotten, or unheeded. An 
infant's tears prevailed over Egypt's haughty 
monarch's dread command. And the damsel 
named the rescued babe Moses, for said she, 
1 drew him out of the water. I hope this 
dear lady was saved among the mixed mul- 
titude, who fled out of Egypt with the chil- 
dren of Israel; and I trust she was. She 
was the temporal saviour of Jeshuren's king 
elect, and leader of God's church. 

Miriam's name is announced amid the cel- 
ebration of the victory obtained over Pha- 
roah and his proud host, when Israel sang 
praise for delivering power, on the banks of 
the Red Sea. The recital of the sufferings 
of God's ancient people, in the land of Egypt, 
the wonders wrought by almighty power, on 
their behalf, and for their rescue, is without 
a parallel in the historic page. Micah, the 
Morasthite, who prophesied in the days of 
Jetham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, 



35 

In reminding rebellious Israel, of their denr- 
ance from Egyptian bondage und tyranny, 
Imentions their leaders, saying " 1 sent before 
thee Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Micah vi. 5. 
Who will presume to cast a sneer of reproach 
toward this triumvirate on account of the 
name of Miriam? Who will dare reprove 
the Lord Almighty for enduing her with the 
spirit of prophecy, and conferring upon her 
the sacred title due to that spirit ? Who will 
find fault with Moses, for permitting his sis- 
ter, the prophetess to shout praise to God, a-' 
mong such a multitude of people, six thou- 
sand lsraelites,&c. a mixed multitude beside ? 
The next public female character, and- 
ihighly distinguished in the annals of the 
rightful proprietors of the law, the Jews, as 
saith the apostle ("• to whom, pertaineth the 
adoption^ and the glory, and the covenants, 
and the giving of the law, &c.) is Deborah 
the wife of Lapidoth." The introduction to 
her history reads thus,. Judges Chap* 4. — 
}" And the children of Israel did evil again in 
the sight of the Lord, when Moses was dead. 
And the Lord sold them into the hands of 
Jabin, king of Canaan, that reigned in Ha- 
zer, the captain of whose host was Sisero, 
j which dwelt in Harosbeth of the Gentiles, he 
I had nine hundred chariots of iron, and might- 
i ily oppressed the children of Israel." Twen- 
ty years of suffering under the rod of correc- 
tion by a heathen Prince, passed over the re- 



3G 

bellious and smitten people of Jehovah's 
choice among all the inhabitants of the globe. 
Amos iii, 1, 2. " How often they tempted 
and provoked the most high God, and kept 
not his testimonies, they dealt unfaithfully 
like their forefathers, they were turned aside 
like a deceitful bow, they provoked God to 
anger with their high places and moved him 
to jealousy with their graven images, then 
he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel, 
therefore he delivered his strength into cap- 
tivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand. 
Many times he delivered them." — At the 
time of my heroine's introduction to the pro- 
phetic office, the Israelites are represented 
earnest in prayer to God; and in answer to 
their cries for a deliverer, Deborah arose a 
mother in Israel. Once they could boast, thnt 
God came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir 
unto them; he shined forth from mount Pa- 
ran and came with cherubic troops. But now 
they must recieve counsel from a female, 
obey the word as she dispenses it from be- 
neath her verdant dwelling, a palm tree be- 
tween Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim, 
or remain in bondage to the king of Canaan 
still. Their soul vvas melted because, of long 
oppression, and they submitted to receive a 
remittance from suffering, even by the hand 
of a woman. 

Deborah gave directions concerning the 
march of the army of Israel, designated the 



37 



number (ten thousand,) and the tribes, (Zeb- 
, ilon and Naphthali.) To complete the same 
I we behold Deborah, compelled by the en- 
treaties of Barak, commander in chiei in Is- 
rael at that time, marching with him at he 
head of an army, to Kedesh Wnen the 
morning arrived of that memorable day that 
witnessed the destruction of Sisera and his 
host, " Deborah gave to Barak me word ot 
command, saying up, for this is the day in 
which the Lord & hath delivered Sisera into 
thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before 
See? Arise Barak, and lead thycaptivity 
captive, thou son of Abinoam." Deborah's 
commands were obeyed all her propaecy 
was fulfilled, Sisera and his host destroy <*, 
and peace again to Israel restored. Debo- 
rah udged the children of her people foity 
years; and during this lapse, the land had 
JeTt With respect to Lapidcth, the husband 
of this illustrious woman we^are left in sus- 
pense as to his approbation of hajnfcgJS 
reverse, as scripture is silent. The hteral 
signification of his name is lamp or lightning ; 
but he emits no ray of light to us, so we must 
leave him. Concerning Deborah's song, it 
,o indifferent a judge of poesy as myseh 
mieht be allowed to give an opinion, 1: should 
say it was suitable company for David s harp 



33 



at least ; and if I breathe out my inmost 
thought of its excellence, [would invite some 
rosy cherub to chaunt its measures upon a 
lute of lucid gold in the immediate presence 
of Israel's conquering King. 

Deborah's sainted dust, reposes for aught 
1 know, beneath the shady palm tree, that 
was formerly a shade for her judgment seat; 
so I bid thee farewell sage mother — sleep 
on till the last loud trumpet shall awake the 
silent dead; then mayest thou come forth to 
sing again u Praise to the Lord for the aveng- 
ing of Israel," and u tune thy harp near the 
Redeemer's throne." 

I should not feel justified in passing silent- 
ly by the name of Jael, wife to Heber the 
Kenite, whose ingenuity and fortitude were 
remarkably exerted and wonderfully pros- 
perous in laying low in death, Israel's potent 
foe. In Deborah's song, this event is cele- 
brated. " Blessed above women shall Jael 
the wife of Heber be— blessed shall she be 
above women in the tent. He asked water, 
and she gave him milk, she brought forth but- 
ter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to 
the nail, and her right hand to the workman^ 



hammer, and with the hammer she smote 
Sisera, she smote off his head when she had 
pierced and striken through his teniples. At 
her feet he bowed, he fell." In vain does his 
-fond mother expect her warlike son's return, 
in vain she looks through the lattice, and sigh, 
Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why 
tarry the wheels of his chariot? For Sisera 
lay breathless at a woman's feet. 

The next female character in Scripture, 
that attracts my attention, and challenges my 
pen, is a lovely young widow, a native of 
Moab. I think I may be allowed to say, 
that the master grace which was so predom- 
inant in the character of Jesus, from his era- 
die to Bethany, when he parted with his dis- 
ciples,on his return back to heaven,even sweet 
dove eyed meekness and humility, was ex- 
hibited in the life of Ruth, more complete 
than in any other scripture human character. 
Her behaviour from the first knowledge we 
take of her, to the latest information we re- 
ceive, is marked with heavenly modesty, ce- 
lestial peace, and the tenderest filial love. I 
never read, or repeat, or meditate upon her 
expressive expostulation with, and declara- 
tion to the bereaved Naomi, without feeling 
mingled emotions of admiration and symp^ 



40 



thy. "Entreat me not to leave thee," nor 
to return to rriy native land- My Chilion 
can rest beneath the sod without me. - Thoi» 
bereaved of husband and sons, and descend- 
ing ihe rugged steep of age, dost need my 
service. Thy whitened locks, my mother, 
the lines of sorrow in thy grief worn coun- 
tenance, thy feeble limbs, attract my sympa- 
thy and command my care. I will go with 
the?*, if thy home and lodging be mean and 
poor, thy faithful Ruth will share its gloom ; 
and I will love the people of thy land, and, 
worship the God of Israel. Where thou di- 
est will I die, and there will 1 be buried, — 
They journey on toward Naomi's country, 
and enter Bethlehem at the beginning of bar- 
ley harvest. We soon find Ruth a humble 
gleaner in the field of Eoaz; and from that 
lowly station, and arduous service, she is ere 
long exalted to the character of spouse to the 
lord of the land, Boaz the great-grand-father 
of king David. The amiable qualities of 
her mind and disposition, afford a mild lustre 
to the reputation of Ruth : but in her con- 
version to the true God, I view her in a more 
conspicuous, grand, majestic character. She 
was a Gentile by birth, born and educated 
in Moab. Moses died there, according to 
the word of the Lord 5 but his sepulchre is 



■« 



reriknown. Moab was a heathenish country, 
filled with foul idolatry. Chemosh was a 
name for their prime god, which is called the 
abomination of Moab, for whom Solomon 
<in his old age, when his heart was seduced 
away from Jehovah, to go after these Gods) 
built an high place on a hill near Jerusalem. 
Israel after the death of Jair, forsook the 
Lord, and went after falsegods, the abomin- 
ation of Syria, Zidon, Moab and Ammen, &c. 
In this wicked land Ruth drew her first 
breath, passed the years of childhood, and 
entered the marriage state, with a native He- 
brew, followed him to an early grave, and 
felt a widow's woe. When we hear irom her 
lips a resolution to serve Naomi's God, our 
hearts leap for joy that tins wild olive of 
heathen forest growth, is severed from the 
corrupt native stock, and engrafted into tne 
vine of Zion, the planting of God Almighty. 
I view her, my dear sister, a type of the Gen- 
tile Church; and it strikes my mind that Da- 
vid when he prophesied concerning the glo- 
ries of Christ's kingdom, in the 45 Psalm, en- 
tiled a son? of loves, addressed a call to the 
-Gentiles : "Hearken O daughter .and consider, 
and incline thine ear, forget also thine own 
people, and thy father's house, so shall the 
'king greatlv desire thy beauty, for he is thy 



Dl 



42 



Lord, and worship thou him. Christ is the 
]Lord here spoken of, and he is the Saviour 
of Jew and Gentile* In my imagination, I 
have heard Ruth in relating her experience, 
declare that she had received this blessed 
call by the spirit of God, and was determin- 
ed to obey ; but I shall appear very extrava- 
gant, if I continue to indulge my pen in this 
strain ; therefore I bid thee adieu, thou chris- 
tian bride in Bethlehem, the birth place of 
thy Saviour and mine. 

Farewell, for a short season, my deaf 
Julia. 



43 

LETTER FIFTH. 

I NOW come to the house of God in Shi- 
loh, and meet within the consecrated wall?, 
a praying female, Hannah the wife of Elka- 
nah, whose name, signifies the zeal of God. 
He is represented as a spiritual worshipper,, 
and in his yearly excursions to Shiloh, to 
visit the temple and sacrifice unto the Lord, 
he was accompaincd by his beloved w T ife, 
Hannah, whose name means^ gracious. 
This woman prayed in the temple, and her 
prayer is recorded in scripture. It is per- 
fectly accordant with the language of the 
true saints of God in all ages, ascribing to 
Jehovah the every righteous attiibute, and 
exulting in the manifestations of his mercy 
toward herself. In Hannah's prayer, or 
song, I see portrayed the holiness and im- 
mutability of God, verse 2 ; his omnicicnce, 
his justice, verse 3 ; power, 4, 5 ; his care 
and protection ©vei^ his children, 9. David 
prayed " wilt thou not deliver my feet from 
falling, that I may walk before God in the 
light of the living ?" Hannah said, " He did 
keep the feet of his saints." A part of the 
gospel armour is prepared for the feet. I 
find Hannah's praying in the temple, her sa- 



-41 



cnfice, service and song were very accepta- 
ble to the Lord ; and her son was an eminent 
-prophet and priest of God. 

I pass on to the reign of good Josiah, the 
son and successor of wicked Amon, who in 
the eighteenth year of his reign, being twen- 
ty-seven years old, gave orders for repairing 
the house of the Lord. The king sent Sha- 
phan, the scribe, with a message to Hilkiah, 
the priest; and from Hilkiah received the 
book of the law, which the priest had found 
in the house of the Lord. Shaphan brought 
the book to the king; and read it in his pre- 
sence. On hearing the contents of the book 
of the law this tender hearted prince rent 
his clothes in seeming agony. He issued a 
command that Hilkiah the priest, with four 
others, go and enquire df the Lord, for him 
and all his subjects, concerning the words of 
the book that was found. Here I must be 
indulged in a little digression. The con- 
sternation and surprise of king Josiah at this 
juncture, are evidences that he never saw or 
heard the statutes of God before, with his 
bodily senses. Probably it was lost among 
the rubbish that was suffered to defile the 
neglected temple, during the reign of his 
wicked grandfather, of fifty and five years 



45 



continuance, and continued till his idolatrous 
father slept the sleep of death, (by conspira- 
cy of his own servants) in the garden of Uz- 
za ; and he exalted by the people of bis lane*, 
to the throne in Jerusalem. But it Is evident 
he had the law written in his heart, for the 
historian testifies of his piety declaring "he 
did that which was right in the sight of the 
Lord, and walked in al! the way of his god- 
ly ancestor, Royal David ; and turned not a- 
side to the right hand or to the left." As soon 
however, as the book, which contained the 
words of a written law, by Jehovah on 
Mount Sinai given, was presented to this ami- 
able young prince, and he listened to its 
contents, its witness to the inward principles 
implanted by God in his secret mind ; and the 
abominations he knew had been committed 
by Israel, in defiance of its precepts and 
commands, excited very great distress ; and 
he desired immediately to apply for instruc- 
tion gr^at supreme author of that law. 
To whom does the king send ? — Answer — - 
He desires Hllkiah to " go enquire of the 
Lord. 5 ' The priest obeys — and we will leave 
the king, to wrestle with God, on behalf of 
his guilty people, to follow the footsteps of 
Hilkiah, as he goes to enquire of the Lord— ■ 
he enters the doors of the College in Jerusa- 



46 

km, with his four men, Ahikam, Achbor, 
Shaphan and Asahiah. Who has the ora- 
cle or word of the Lord, within these ancient 
walls ? Samuel, the venerable seer, who 
wielded the anointing horn, sleeps quietly at 
Ramah. Elijah's feet were taken from the 
banks of Jordan, and he is gone up to heav- 
en in a chariot of fire. Elisha, his anointed 
successor in the prophetic office, sickened 
and died in Samaria, and moulders in a sep- 
ulchre there. Isaiah finished his testimony 
in Hezekiah's day, and sealed it by his blood. 
His body was sawn asunder ; and if we hear 
the sound of his voice at all, it echoes from 
beneath the altar, at the opening of the fifth 
seal. " How long O Lord, holy and true, 
ere thou wilt avenge my painful death, my 
innocent blood, upon the enemies of thy 
word ?" 

Who, we ask again, has the oracle of God, 
in the day when king Josiah sent his messen- 
gers to enquire. I will apply to the scrip- 
ture. " And Hilkiah, and they that the king 
had appointed went to Huldah, THE proph- 
etess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikuah, 
the son of Hasrah keeper of the wardrobe ; 
now she dwelt in Jerusalem, in the college, 
&qcl they commune with her. A woman,! 



4? 



S consulted by the messengers of Judah*s ro}?* 
al monarch, on a subject of such vast impor- 

! tance ! " the weaker vessel," " weak things 

1 1 of the world," called of God, glory to his 
great name ; and he will continue to call upon 
them, and place his word upon their lips as 
often as he pleases; and man cannot prevent 
it. Shall we take a view of Huldah's be- 
haviour in this instance? I cannot discern 
any embarrassment or hesitancy and back- 
wardness about her. With apparent com- 
posure, solemnity, and becoming resolution, 
she pronounces her reply : — " Thus saith 
the Lord God of Israel, tell you the man that 
sent you to me, thus saith the Lord, behold I 
will bring evil upon this place, and upon the 
inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that 
are written in the book, which they have read 
before the king of Judah ; because they have 
forsaken me, and have burned incense unto 

'Other gods, that they might provoke me to 
anger with all the works of their hands: 
therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon 

! this place and shall not be quenched." My 

idear sister, this is solemn preaching, sharp 
as a two edged sword — and from a female's 
lips! In this day of abounding iniquity, 

'when the love of many is grown cold ; and 
spiritual idolatry breathes its pestiferous 



48 



power into the very bowels of the visible? 
modern Israel, should a poor female thus cry 
out zvoe, she would be esteemed an usurper 
over man, a disturber of the peace of the 
churches ; some would call it wild fire, and 
warn people against the reception of her 
testimony, calling it an "unclean thing," 
others name her a u Farnhamite," and oth- 
ers praying she might be healed herself, be- 
fore she attempted to probe and cleanse the 
wounds in Zion ! 

To return to Huldah. She now declares 
to the waiting messengers, God's word for 
Josiah. 

" And as for the king of Judah, who sent 

you to enquire of the Lord, so shall you say 

unto him, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, 

concerning the words which thou hast heard. 

Because thine neart was tender, and thou 

didst humble thyself before God, when thou 

hadst his word against this place, and against 

the inhabitants thereof, and humbled thyself 

before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and 

weep before me ; 1 have heard thee, saith 

the Lord. Behold I will gather thee to thy 

fathers, and thou shalt go to thy grave in 

peace ; neither shall thine eyes see all the 



,49 

evil that I will bring upon this place, and up- 
on the inhabitants of the same." Here ends 
her message. 

Hilkiah and his companions take their 
leave of the inspired female, and return to 
the palace of Josiah, to bring him the word. 
He, the king, appeared to receive Huldah's 
. message, with the humility of a little child, 
. while his instant and wnwearied exertions, in 
reformation labor, displayed maniy energy, 
with kingly authority, and add a new and 
fairer lustre to his christian character. I 
have thought the language of the apostle 
John might have been truly applied to this 
youthful reformer, had he been contempora- 
ry with that beloved disciple of the Lord. 1st 
Epistle General, ii, 14; for certainly it is 
manifest u he was strong, had the word of 
God abiding in him," and was a signal over- 
comer already. The measures he took in 
regard to a reformation, his covenanting anew 
w r ith God, keeping the passover.and his liber- 
ality are recorded in the book of the history 
of the kings of Israel. Huldah's prophecy 
was verified to him; and also the older 
prophesy that issued from the mouth of a 
man of God at Bethel, in Jereboam : 6 reign, 
who had there set up a gulden calf, and caus- 

E 



&& 



€*f Israel to sin. Josiah went early frotB 
works to rewards, the archers pierced him in 
the valley of Megiddo, and he expired ere 
he reached Jerusalem ; there he was buried 
in one of the sepulchres- of his ancestors, and 
lamented by Jeremiah and all Judah ancf 
Jerusalem ; and all the singing men and 
singing women spake of Josiah in their la- 
mentations, and made them an ordinance in 
Israel; and behold they are written in the 
lamentations. And the sacred historian as- 
serts, that the annals of Jewish kings furnish 
bo character, his equal in devotion to his 
Cod, neither before nor after him. . Happy 
prince, whose memory fe blessed, it is u like 
ike light of the morning, when the sun ari*~ 
eth, even a moaning without clouds, as the 
lender grass springing out of the earth by 
clear shining after rain," such was thy gov- 
ernment, and such is thy memory too. 

But Josiah \s piety could not avert fr<5m re- 
bellious Judah, the just judgments of God 
due to the ingratitude and foul idolatry of 
that highly favoured people. The decree 
had gone forth from the mouth of the Lord 
k\ Manassah's reign, and its accomplishment 
was near at hand, when his pious grandsou 
wnsslaia at Megiddo : the line of destmo 



51 



fkm was stretched over Jerusalem ; and the 
plummet laid thereto. The temple concern- 
ing which, the Lord had said, "my riam« 
j-shall be there," the royal palace, and every 
! great man's house in the city, became fuel for 
'the malice of BabePs perverse and impious 
king. Jerusalem's massy walls were pros- 
trated by the battle axe of the Chaldean ar- 
my, who also brake in pieces the pillars of 
fbrass, that were in the house of the Lord, 
the bases and brazen sea, placed thereby 
Solomon, did the brutal Chaldeans break in 
pieces, and carry off to Babylon. The 
golden Tessels, and vessels of brass and sil- 
ver, with which they ministered when the 
jlaw was kept, were taken away by the cap- 
tain of the Chaldean guard. Ah'! methinks 
I hear the prophetic voice of Isaiah, lament- 
ing over the approaching ruin, which he saw 
I affected as it were in vision, " Our holy and 
our beautified house, where our fathers prais- 
ed thee, is burnt up with fire; and all our 
pleasant things are laid wasted It would 
be natural for me to dwell upon this subject 
some time my dear sister, if I could be al- 
lowed to spiritualize it; for the captivity of 
•the daughter of Zion, is a theme over which 
my mourning heart often broods, in secret 
sighs and groans and prayers. O that ±km 



w^oWest rend the heavens, Great God, make 
bare thy holy arm, and come down, that the 
•mountains might flow down at thy presence, 
to make thy name known to thine adver- 
saries that the nations may tremble at thy 
presence 1 and the whole world acknowl- 
edge that verily thou art God in Israel ! 

I return to my subject. The fulfilment of 
Huldah's prophecy, is a sufficient proof of 
the authenticity of the message she delirer- 
ed to Hilkiah, prefaced with a ^ thus saith 
the Lord God of Israel f 9 for this was the 
test, a trial of prophecy, time immemori- 
al ; and Huldah's certainly was weighty in 
the balance of truth. Thus w« see,women un- 
der the dispensation of the law did not keep 
silence, but made mention of the name of the 
Lord, in solemn prophetic strains. No Jewish 
priest or seer, no royal king or ruler, ever 
attempted to impose silence upon ancient 
women of God, in old Testament scripture 
account. I would charitably believe that 
no christian female at the present day, is as- 
piring after greater liberty than my heroines 
enjoyed in theirs ; and it is my ardent pray- 
er, that Christ's dear church may never av 
gain be infested with female- disciples of Cor? 
respondent character with those £t Corint^ 



53 

when Paul justly reproved and commanded 
to silence in the church. 



LETTER VI. 



As 1 have noticed in former epistles, sev- 
eral female scripture characters who were 
S entitled prophetesses of the Lord bu 
obiects of divine favor and notice in his an- 
St church, 1 am not willing to pass si lent- 
ly by the fair and favoured queen of the fa- 
Sous Ahasuerus, who reigned from Jndia to 
Ethiopia, renowned for the riches and tern- 
coral elory of his kingdom, and the honoi 
KsUbeL disposition, and hiy-e|en 
maiestv. No, beauteous gentle fair, I shall 
S ale thee in the shade if I can avoid i ; 
for thou wast an honored instrument in 
iverbg ruin from thousands of th, r fe low 
mortals* yes, a whole nation might call thee 
a female Saviour ! 



El 



tlsther it appears was an orphan, her name- 
signifies secret ; and her birth place with 
the names of her father and mother, were se- 
cluded from Ahasuerus. She possessed a 
very faithful guardian, and tender iriend, in 
lier cousin, Mordecai, who when her parents 
died adopted Esther for his own daughter, — 
She was fair and beautiful* 1 cannot avoid 
the mention of another name given to Esther, 
which I conclude was hers in infancy. — 
Hadassah, which is " a myrtle tree." This 
plant possesses two pleasing qualifications : 
Its leaf is ever verdant, and it is rare : Its 
scarcity, and unchangeable hue may allow 
it a comparison with true virtue, -and the 
erect position of the stem proceeding from 
the root, is indicative of firmness and decis- 
ion. In Esther's character we read these 
superior excellences; and rejoice she was 
not always secreted from usefulness and ap- 
plause. Mordecai, was a mournful captive 
exile from Jerusalem. He now dttelt in 
Shushan, the palace, it is probable a domes- 
tic in the king's househould. I have always 
when reading the bool* entitled Esther, fan- 
cied I could discern amid the obscurity which 
is around the path of Mordecai, a truly mag- 
nanimous character. To me the name Con- 
veys also the situation of his mind. Mor 
cm (bitterness :) — 



55 



Near the royal gate my fancy views reclining;, 
This u woe begone exile" from his native country, 
Mingling his sighs with the wispering gale of evening, 

Weeping for Zion. 

See the " big tear drop," while his soul remembers 
Jerusalem, his native desolated country, 
And recollects the night when the fierce Assyrian armyy 

Laid low its glory. 

Listen to his voice, while strains of bitter anguish 
Flow from a soul allied to deepest sorrow, 
No return to Salem can 1 ever look for, 

" Land of my fa there.' '' 

Yet to my faithful and lacerated bosom, 
Thou art still dear, and often memory dwells on 
Thy once dazzling glories, exceeding other lands, by 

G iit of Jehovah. 



When Esther was elected as successor to 
offending, banished Vashti, doubtless the 
bosom of Mordecai,-was agitated by alter- 
nate emotions of hope and fear. While the 
uncommon beauty and delicacy of Esther's 
person and manners, the sweetness of her 
natural docile mind and disposition ; and the 
obedient respect and submission in all her 
deportment hitherto toward him, as the pro- 
tector of her orphaned youth, inspired in his 
heart a hope that she would endure the blaze 
of royal favor, and continue amiable Esther 



56 



•still : yet we suspect Mordccai had some fear 
that her exaltation and court life, might have 
an unhappy influence upon her youthful 
heart, and decoy her into the maze of pride. 
About nine years had gone their revolution, 
since Esther became queen to Ahasuerus, be- 
fore any striking event takes place in her 
life, as recorded in Scripture. It is proba- 
ble she was, to the king's view, an object of 
delight, and confidence. No breach of duty 
on her part, or severity and coldness upon 
his, have ever appeared to mar their union, 
and blight their joys. 

But Satan cannot suffer his subjects to 
continue quiet, and to be idlers in his wicked 
service : he could not bear to see the mea- 
sure of comfort afforded to the mournful 
Jewish exile, by the peace and prosperity of 
his darling cousin, and the envious serpent 
longed to see the wounded heart of Morde- 
cai bleed afresh ; and even to behold him and 
Esther too hanging upon a gallows. A base 
heathen, Haman by name, suddenly advanc- 
ed to the chief seat among the princes, in A- 
ha^uerus' court, was used as an instrument 
of the foul serpent, to attempt a thorough 
extermination from the face of the earth, of 
the people of God. Haman's high, ambi- 
tious temper, Was evidently excited by the 



57 



want of respect shewn to his newly exa ted 
honor, by Mordecai the Jew, who neither 
rose fonf his seat at the king's gate in honor 
o? his greatness, nor bowed his head when 
Haman passed. The king's servants ob- 
serSng this neglect toward their sovereign's 
newfevorite, ^postulated with Mordeca., 
bu7in vain j 'thei? daily impetuosity answer- 
ed not the purpose they wished; ™e Jew 
was inflexible ; and Haman soon med itated a 
revenge, whose foundation was laid in slan- 
der ; and its final issue witnessed h* own 
ruin: — 

« And Haman said unto king Ahasueru?, 
there, is a certain people scattered abroad 
and dispersed among the people in all tM 
provinces in thy kingdom, and their laws are 
Siverse from all people, neither keep they 
the kiDg's laws, therefore it is no for the 
king's profit to suffer them. If it please the 
king let it be written that they may be de- 
stroyed, &c." offering also ten thousand al- 
cnts of silver from his own coffers, for (be 
royal treasury ; artful, unhappy man ! 1 his 
contemplated mischief shall reverbrate upon 
thee, and thy violent dealing bruise thy ma- 
licious pate. 



53 

^ The king consented ; the cruel edict was 
issued from Shushan, in the name of Ahasu- 
-erus,-and sealed with the royal ring : — 

u And the letters were sent express into all 
the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and 
to cause to perish all Jews, both young and 
old, little children and women, m one day, 
upon the thirteenth day ct the twelfth month, 
which is the month Adar, and to take the 
spoil for a prey." 

After this was in circulation, wicked Ha- 
inan sat down to drink with the king; but the 
city Shushan was perplexed, " Mordecai rent 
his clothes., put on sackcloth with ashes, and 
went out into the midst of the city, crying 
with a loud and bitter cry." A very great 
mourning prevailed among the Jews, fasting, 
weeping and wailing, and many lay in sack- 
cloth and ashes. 

_ Queen Esther, hearing of her kinsman's 
.situation, sent a messenger to enquire the 
cause. Mordecai returned for a reply, a 
copy of the cruel edict, with a charge "that 
she (Esther) should use ;;er influence with 
the king, in supplicating redemption for her 
people. 



59 

At first the queen relucted from this adven- 
turpus act, which exposed her life to imme- 
diate danger ; and for a moment the orphan 
fair, forgot her descent from ancient Jacob, 
whose habitation was about to be desolated 
by the heathen who knew not God, and call- 
ed not upon his great name. She dispatch* 
ed Hatach (a chamberlain of the king) to go 
again to Mordecai, and remind him of the 
law in force in the king's court, that would 
put to death, any man or woman, who should 
presume to appear uncalled, in the king's 
presence, except by special favor of his ma- 
jesty, the golden^sceptre be extended, 

Mordecai would not accept of this plea of 
the queen; and returned for answer, that 
she must not please herself with a hope of 
exemption from the ruin which awaited the 
Jews, whose blood flowed in her tender veins; 
nor expect the palace of Shushan to shelter 
her from death. He beside intimated that 
deliverance should arise to the people of 
God from another source, if she held her 
peace, in which the house of Abihail would 
not be interested ; and queried with Esther, 
whether she was not elevated to royal favor, 
for the purpose of advocating r ~*thcT cause of 
God's people at this awful juncture. 



60 

Esther is roused to exertion, and resolved 
to face the danger apparent before her. She 
cannot resist the eloquent pleading of her 
beloved cousin, on behalf of hapless Israel. 
If she is raised to a kingdom, in order to re- 
deem a nation from death, let it be accom- 
plished even at the expence of her own life ; 
she cannot die in a better cause. Now she 
feels a union with the afflicted seed of Abra- 
ham : sh£ sends word to Mordecai, to assem- 
ble the Jews that are at Shushan, and com- 
mence a solemn fast on her account, she and 
her maiden's will fast also, three days and 
three nights this fast is to continue ; and then 
said the. beauteous, weeping descendant of 
Abihail, u I will go into the king's presence, 
which is not according to the law j and if I 
perish, 1 perish.' 1 

At the appointed time, queen Esther put 
on her royal apparel and appeared before 
the royal throne. Fancy paints her lovely 
form advancing slowly towards his imperial 
majesty, at whose feet the Persian and Me- 
dian princes and nobles, deigned to bow, 
Ahasuerus views the approach of his bloomr 
ing queen ; on her head he sees the brilliant, 
crown, first placed thereon by his own hand ; 
^Epund its glittering gems are playing her 



:t 



ei 



golden locks ; and from her sparkling eye& 
are emitted beams that reach his princely 
heart. She obtains favor in his sight ; and 
the golden sceptre is extended for her touch ; 
it is like life from the dead, auspicial to her 
throbbing bosom of Israel's redemption 
day. " Then said the king, what wilt thou 
queen Esther ? And what is thy request ? 
It shall be given to thee, even to half of my 
kingdom." How sweet these accents to the 
ear of one, who lately trembled under ap- 
prehensions, that this anticipated scene was 
a prelude to her destruction ! Happy Est- 
ther, highly favoured among women, the 
Lord is with thee, and the God of hosts is 
thy reward ! 

Esther fell at the king's feet, and with tears 
besought him tQ spare the lives of her people ; 
she exposes the malice of wicked Haman, 
and his devise against the afflicted Jews : 
she supplicates far a speedy reversal of the 
condemnatory letters written by the Agagite, 
that are in hasty circulation in the land : lis-* 
ten to her pathetic pleas, her arguments with 
the king, " how can I endure to see the evil 
that shall come unto my people ? Or how 
can I bear to witness the destruction of my 



62 

kindred! "Then the king said to Esther 
the queen, and to. Mordecai the Jew, behold 
1 haye given Esther the house of Haman, and 
him have they hanged upon the gallows, be- 
cause he laid his hand upon the Jews." Poor 
ill fated man, he digged a pit for the innocent 
Mordecai, into which he is fallen himself ! 
The king adds, " write also for the Jews, as 
you please, ih the king's name ; and seal it 
with the king's ring ; for letters bearing such 
marks may no man reverse. The royal 
scribes were again called, to write a grant to 
the Jews, to stand in their own defence, 
throughout Ahasuerus' realm ; the mules, 
camels and young dromedaries, bore the 
messengers of deliverance to the weeping 
scattered people of God ; and in every pro- 
vince,and every city,whithersoever the king's 
commandment came, the Jews had joy and 
gladness, a feast, and a good day. And now 
a reformation commenced among the heathen 
too ; for it is written that many of the peo- 
ple of the land became Jews, for the fear of 
the Jews (or God of the Jews) fell upon them. 
What a mighty revolution has taken place; 
and the personal instrument a delicate female ! 
In view of Mordecai and Esther on one hand, 
and the Agagite, his fate, and the doom of 



63 



his sons, on the other, we will take up the 
closing verse of Deborah's inspired anthem, 
and then bid our fair heroine, the eastern 
queen, farewell : — " So let all thine enemies 
perish, O Lord ; but let them that love thee, 
be as the sun when he goeth forth in his 



might." Amen* 



64 

LETTER VIl. 

I REfetJME my pen, dear sister, to pur* 
sue my subject, with prayer unto Sarah's 
and Rebecca's God, Magdalene's forgiving 
Saviour, and Paul's great General, the glo- 
rious King of Zion, that he will continue his 
assistance, to my feeble powers, in attempt- 
ing a collection of the scattered golden grains, 
ia Scripture, which relate to his favor to- 
wards the weaker part of his heritage. Ift 
the preceding pages I have endeavoured to 
exhibit the privileges, liberty and honors 
granted to women under the law, an account 
of the apostles quotation, 1 Cor. 34, with 
some account of the labours and success of 
ancient godly daughters of thagreat Lord 
Almighty. 1 have proved that a dispensa- 
tion of the word of God, was committed to 
Huldah,a special commission to Deborah,the 
title of prophetess to them and Mirriam be- 
fore them ; that Hannah offered vocal 
prayer and praise to God, in the Meeting- 
house at Shiloh, undisturbed by the aged 
prophet Eli, after he discovered her engage- 
ment in devotion to his God. I have taken 
the liberty to mention other female charac- 
ters also, whose names are on sacred record 
among the worthies, who were polished 



Co 



Stones in God's house, viz. Sarah, and her 
daughter-in-law Rebecca, of whom Moses 
wrote, as objects of divine notice in the cov- 
enant established with Abraham and his 
seed, in which all the families of the earth 
were interested. I have introduced Ruth, a 
native of Moab, widow of Chilion, who was 
by birthright a Jew, as an amiable and de- 
voted convert to the true God, and typical of 
the calling of the gentiles, in the gospel dis- 
pensation. Esther, a fair orphan, descend- 
ant from Benjamin, the twelfth patriarchal 
character, whom good old Jacob blessed, 
1 have brought to view, as a female Saviour 
of God's people, from temporal ruin. Any 
candid reader of her history, will own her 
an object of peculiar favour ; in the morning 
of life, she "devoured the prey, and at even- 
ing divided the spoil." While 1 indulge my- 
self in setting these eminent female charac- 
ters on the hill of observation, for beholders 
to respect and admire, I do not forget the 
frailty of woman. Eve's compliance with 
the proposal of fallefi lucifer, is still painfully 
remembered ; the name of the artful inhab- 
itant of Sorek's valley, and her two success- 
ful artifice, is odious and despicable, and 
concerning such characters, Solomon truly 
asserted, " their hearts are snares and nets* 



Fi 



mid their hands are bands, their house in- 
clineth unto death, and their paths unto the 
dead." Michael, the daughter of Saul, in op- 
posing and mocking at king David was guil- 
ty of violating the law of subjection, and 
confer* no honour upon her sex, or royal 
lineage, by such behaviour. It is too la^ 
mentable a truth, that female usurpation -has 
not ceased t& disquiet the earth ; btft even in 
this enlightened suid polish'd age, women,: 
sometimes forget their obligation to humility, 
andi are so vain as to dream they are wiser 
than their husbands ; and are guilty of con- 
tradicting and opposing them. The name of 
Jezebel, which signifies, woe to the dunghill, 
is held in just abhorrence, by every lover of 
virtue and modesty. She was daughter of 
a heathen prince, and espoused to Ahab,. 
who; reigned over Israel, twenty-two years, 
to the sorrow and desolation of God's dear 
church ; truly when the wicked bear rule, 
the people have cause to mourn. Ahab 
Feared up an altar for his wicked consort's 
favorite idol god, planted a grove for idolar 
trous purposes, yea, did £&or e to provoke the 
Lord God of Israel to anger, than all the 
kings of Israel which were before him ; and 
Ms aboirodihg wickedness is imputed by the- 



G€ 



inspired writer, to the baleful influence of his 
base companion. To Jezebel,is attributed the 
I sacrifice of the prophets lives, who held ther 
j testimony of the true God. She also threat- 
; ! erred the great and eminent Elijah, with sim- 
ilar fate, which God prevented. I would 
rehearse more of heivevil deeds ; but am too 
sick of her, to continue the theme. I am 
glad to see her tumbling down over the 
wall of Jezreel. Jehu is welcome to 
the office of executioner — sa I leave them. 
Athaliah is another unamiable female char- 
acter, whose name is left on scripture record. 
She usurped the throne in Jerusalem, after 
her son was killed by Jehu's command, and 
destroyed all the seed royal of the house of 
Judah, Joash alone excepted,, who was hid 
away successfully with his nurse, by Jehos- 
abeth an older child of the late king over 
that illustrious house, from which the royal 
sceptre is not to depart, until Shiloh come, 
to whose dominion all nations shall finally 
be subject,, whose reign is everlasting. The 
coun&ei of God shall stand, nor can wicked 
men or usurping women overthrow his pur- 
pose, Glory to his great eternal name ! 1 do- 
not write this for your entertainment, my 
dear Julia ; and must ask you to excuse so^ 
gainful a digression, on account of these let-- 



68 

ters becoming public property, or a " com- 
mon prey." I have noticed the last four fe- 
males as objects of disgust and witnesses to 
woman's frailty — usurping offenders, justly 
reprobated, and righteously punished. And 
Xiow, even justice to my subject, requires 
that I should not pass over in silence, the 
judgments upon Israel, prophesied by Isaiah, 
in which females are represented as oppres- 
sors of bleeding Zion. It is my opinion my 
dear sister, that women can do great service 
ibr God by adhering to his counsels and 
walking in his truth ; also wasting and de- 
struction are suffered through them, who dis- 
obey his commands and break his statutes. 
Isaiah cried in the ears of Israel's sinful na- 
tion, see Chap. iii. 15, 26. 

" What mean ye, that ye beat my people 
to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? 
saith the Lord of hosts ?" 

" Moreover the Lord saith, because the 
daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk 
with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, 
walking and mincing as they go, and mak- 
ing a tinkling with their feet, therefore the 
Lord will smite the crown of the head of the 
daughters of Zion." 

In six verses following, the ornaments and 
gay apparel, fashionable in that day among 



6§ 



the wicked hypocritical females in Israeli 
are recounted by Isaiah. The next contains 
their disgraceful sentence; and the conclu- 
sion is " because, &c." see verse 16. That 
Zion's men shall fall by the sword ; and her 
miehty men in the war. Her gates shall 
mourn and lament ; and she being desolate 
shall sit upon the ground. 
In many female professor's at the present day 
I see representatives of those ancient scourg- 
es of God's church. I have long been among 
them as a speckled bird. The seven women 
still hold the rein, " we will wear our own 
apparel." It is difficult in many assemblies 
for worship called christian, to designate e- 
ven professors, by their dress and manners, 
even the sacred camp of "free brethren,^ 
is polluted by "outward female adorning, 
prohibited and disapproved by Paul and Pe- 
ter. Here I must notice, acccordmg to im- 
partial observation, that when a female ris- 
es in public testimony, if her person is ar- 
rayed in Babylonish vesture, her accents are 
a confused mixture of Canaan and Ashdod ; 
if this remark offends my sisters by profes- 
sion, I cannot help it, my message to them is 
strip yourselves of pride, put on the seam- 
less garment of divine humility, let your 
adorning be, not the outward adorning ot 






70 






1 



plating the hair, wearing of gold, or putting 
on gay apparel ; but let it be the hidden 
man of the heart, in that which is not con- 
ceptible, even the ornament of a meek and 
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, of 
great price ; for after this manner, holy 
women of old, who trusted in God, adorned 
themselves, #c. When the filth of the 
daughter of Zion shall be washed away, ac- 
cording to divine testimony, there is a great 
glory to descend upon the church ; even in 
such a mortifying light as Isaiah holds up to 
view in the female house of Israel. I read 
the equality of the sexes in God's account 
book, and tremble for myself and my con- 
temporaries in the profession of the chris- 
tian faith. 

Ezekiel, a Jewish exiled priest of God, had 
the word of the Lord to deliver to captive 
Israel, in the land of the Chaldeans, five 
years after the confinement of Jehoaikim, 
aj*d was most wonderfully enlightened and 
favored in miraculous visions of God, and 
his glory. He was entrusted with a mis- 
sion to the rebellious house of Israel, differ-/ 
ent indeed in some respects, from any other 
prophet or priest ; but not inferior in solem- 
nity and importance. He was contempora- 



g$M& 



71 

vy with favored Daniel ; and it is likely they 
sat together on the banks of the Chebar, en- 
gaged in mournful conference concerning the 
state of the children of their people. In the 
thirteenth chapter of the book of Ezekiel, 
the inspired son of Buzi, addresses solemn 
reproof to false prophets, by commandment 
of God. u Thus saith the Lord God, woe 
unto the foolish prophets, that follow their 
own spirit, and have seen nothing ! O Israel, 
thy prophets are like the foxes in the desert, 
they decoyed the unwary Israelites, with 
false tidings of peace, when there was no 
peace ; one raised a wall, and others daubed 
with untempered mortar ; n bu tthe whole 
work was condemned by God to utter ruin ; 
the overflowing shower of his righteous judg- 
ments, the loud storm of Jehovah's fierce an- 
ger, and hailstones of Almighty wrath, rent 
the slender wall of tradition and hypocrisy, 
and swept it all away, with the besom of de- 
struction in the hand of a righteous God ! 
In the seventeenth verse of this chapter, E- 
zekiel is directed to address the daughters q£ 
his people who prophesy out of their own 
heart, (the 2d verse has addressed the sons 
who commit this trespass.) It appears my 
dear sister, that in ancient times, the office of 
prophecy was common to either sex, in IsraeL 



72 

False prophetesses existed, and did evtl, as- 
well as false prophets. They were spiritual 
idolaters, and obnoxious to God's righteous 
judgments. Finally, for 1 fear my subject is 
become tedious, the wohle church of God, 
including every officer, and all its offices, is 
in Scripture designated in the feminine gen- 
der. The weeping priest and prophet in 
Anathoth ever spake of the church in a fe«? 
male form. Jerusalem, the seat of ancient 
worship, Judah the throne of dominion, are 
lamented thus by Jeremiah : "How doth 
the city sit solitary that was full of people ! 
How is she become as a widow ! She that 
was great among the nations, and princess 
among the provinces; how is she become 
tributary ! She weepeth sore in the night, 
and her tears are on her cheeks ; among all 
her lovers th$re is none^ to comfort her ; all 
her friends have dealt treacherously with 
her, they have become her enemies, Judah 
is gone into captivity, she dwelleth among 
the heathen ; she firideih no rest, all her per- 
secutors overtook her between the straits. 
The ways of Zion mourn, because none 
come to the solemn feasts ; all her gates are 
desolate ; her priests sigh, her virgins are af- 
flicted, and she is in bitterness. The adver- 
sary hath spread out his hand upon all her 



73 



pleasant things ; for she hath seen that th^ 
aeathen entered into her sanctuary, con- 
cerning whom God had commanded that they 
should not enter into his congregation. But 
sufficient. 

One thing in addition I shall notice, and 
then take my leave of the law dispensation. 
The thirty-first chapter of the book of Pro- 
verbs, is entitled " Lemuel's lesson of chas- 
tity;" he is called a king ; and it appears 
wrote as his mother taught him. I must be 
indulged with liberty to believe she was a 
prophetess ; but confess I am ignorant of her 
name and residence. The chapter how r ever 
is a beautiful poem, and its theme a lively 
illustration of the mind, behaviour and exalt- 
ation of a godly woman, " She openeth her 
mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the 
law of kindness, her owrr works shall praise 
her in the gates ;" the gates of the Zion of 
1 God, which are far dearer to the most high, 
than all the dwellings of Jacob. 

1 am now willing to quit these sacred 
shores, even the dispensation called the law; 
nnd launch my little bark into the gospel ocean 
claiming for Ir.s ballast.in the spirit's pare tes- 



m 

timony Joel's prophetic declaration, seooflc 
chapter, 28th and 29 verses, which evidently 
relate to the Christian church, " And i* 
shall come to pass, in the last days, SAITH 
GOD, that I will pour out my spirit upon all 
flesh ; and- your sons, and your daughters 
shall prophecy ; alstf upon my servants and- 
on my hand-maidens, I will pour out of my 
spirit, and they shall prophesy/ 5 

Note — " daughters;" and the annexed 
" shall," again " hand-maidens," and " shall," 
again. Does God speak itt irony? No* 
Does he command in earnest ? Yea verily* 
Upon what ground then &re ministers and 
brethren, who say women must keep silence 
in meetings for his worship ? Let Jehovah 
be the Judge ! I condemn no man. 

My feeble frame requires repose at this- 
time; I can safely rest in this little bark of 
faith, as it rides at anchor in the stream of] 
Gospel favof. So adieu for the present. 



75 

LETTER VIII. 

AS I seat myself at the writing table, thii 
morning, the carol of the feathered tribe, 
who inhabit the trees upon this retired spot, 
salutes my ear; and this with the sound of 
the waters as they strike the rocky shore, is 
all the interruption I am liable to, apart from 
myself. I am naturally fond of writing, de- 
lighted in the exercise in my childhood ; and 
at/ the middle age of life, 1 find it pleasant - % 
but my present undertaking is very different 
from any preceeding; ; and the idea that 
these Epistles are designed for the perusal of 
any one, friend or foe, who please to review 
them, I am constrained to cry ; Ah Lord 
God how can I write ; for I am in spiritual 
understanding but a babe ! Yet, my dear 
sister, there is a soft, still voice, that wispers 
encouragement to my heart; and the word 
that came to Jeremiah, is before me, u thus 
speaketh the Lord God of Israel, write thee 
all the words that I have spoken unto thee, 
in a book.*' I am with thee, saith the Lord 
thy God! I shall therefore strive to perse- 
vere. Toward the close of the seventh let- 
ter, I observed I was about to venture my 
yial« bark yi the gospel ocean. J3ut thk 



76 



morning I can see by faith the gospel shipl 
at anchor within the promises : and Jesus! 
her glorious commander is reaching his hand* 
to invite me to quit my slender vessel, and 
come on board with him. Now I am anx- 
ious to understand something respecting the 
sacred freight ; and in the first place, a 1 
treasure, called the gospel according to St. | 
Luke, is presented me for the benefit of my 
present subject* 



: 



Amid the variety in opinion and sentiments 
entertained by the different sects called 
Christian, and the useless and cruel divisions^ 
and distentions, disseminated by the old ser- 
pent, there i$ one point to which all profess- 
ed christians are obliged to adhere, even that 
Jesus Christ is the only name given under 
Heaven, whereby any can be saved. I do 
firmly believe it, for a single soul ; and the 
record left concerning his life by the four 
evangelists. I would have engraven upon the 
table of my heart as with the point of a dia- 
mond. Let us, now my clear sister, look over* 
the history of our blessed Saviour, and by it 
try to fathom the depth of my subject. And 
I shall use the same liberty now, as I did 
when tracing it over Old Testament ground, 






77 



I cannot be confined merely to instances of 
female prophecy; but 1 want to take a view of 
our sex, and their relation to Christ; and our 
rights and liberties in his dear church, St. 
Luke gives a more particular account of the 
advent of the Messiah into this sinful world, 
than the other Evangelists ; and the first 
chapter introduced two eminently favored 
female characters interested in that scene, 
which involves the eternal interests of the 
universe. Elizabeth, wife of Zacharias, is 
represented as a righteous matron in God's 
house ; she becomes a mother of the great- 
est prophet that was ever born of woman. — 
Mary, the espoused w T ife of Joseph, is a 
blooming virgin, and to her is given the high- 
est title ever yet conferred upon any mortal, 
she is the mother of Jesus, which is called 
Christ. The youthful and lovely Nazarene, 
•expresses herself with the majesty aed bold- 
ness of riper years, in the inspired anthem 
of praise, she sung in Elizabeth's habitation, 
after conferring with that godly woman upon 
H|he subject of the birth of Emmanuel. 

-" And Mary said, my soul doth magnify 
the Lord ; and my spirit doth rejoice in God 
my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low 

Gi 



7S 



estate of his handmaiden ; for behold from 
henceforth all generations shall call me bles- 
sed." What language, my .sister, issuing 
from the lips of ^ poor, illi^rate female at 
the age of fourteen years ! Mary was rich 
in faith, and heir to a glorious inheritance, 
that can never fade away — her memory is 
embalmed among the just; and from genera- 
tion to generation, the saints continually hail 
her, the blessed among women ! 

The divine Saviour, while he sojourned in 
this vale of tears, ever manifested the ten- 
derest care over the female part of his her- 
itage. The miracle of healing was perform- 
ed upon their bodies, to them he preached 
the gospel, and converted their souls, and 
forgave their sins. In all his communica- 
tions to his disciples, or public preaching, I 
do not recollect a single intimation of an ine- 
quality between the sexes in his church, nor 
can I find;him ever reproving a female for too 
great forwardness and zeal in his cause, fie 
permitted women to accompany him in his 
travels from city to city, and village to vil- 
lage, as he went preaching the glad tidings 
qf the kingdom of God. Mary Magdalene, 
Joanna and Susanna, accompanied the lowly 



79 

Jesus, and ministered unto him of their sub- 
stance. Happy days ! and happy women ! 
Blessed were their eyes, for they saw him 
whom my soul loveth ! blessed were their 
ears, for they heard his charming voice, and 
blessed were their lips, for they w r ere per- 
mitted to shout his praise ! It is my lot to 
live in a day, when women's travelling from 
place to place with the testimony of the 
Lamb of God, is to the apprehension of a ma- 
jority of professors of Christianity, sj'nony- 
mous with infamy — it is even so — but it is 
duty to be patient in tribulation ; and willing 
to be abased. Some persons have asserted 
that in the New Testament, there is no in- 
stance given, of a female's speaking in a wor- 
shipping assembly, when males were pres- 
ent. They are certainly under a mistake, 
The evangelist Luke, records two ; one took 
place when the blessed Jesus was preaching, 
and the other at his circumcision. The first 
is to my view a free meeting. Jesus prayed, 
one of his disciples spoke, then the Saviour 
gave them a rule for prayer ; and illustrated 
the same by comparison. He cast out a 
dumb spirit — the Jews accused him of doing 
this miracle through the prince of devils. — 
The Son of God then exalted his warning 



BO 



voice,, and preached to the hardened Jews, 
when a certain woman of the company, ap- 
parently overflowing with a sense of his pow- 
er and glory, exclaimed "blessed is the womb 
that bare thee ; and the paps which thou 
hast sucked." Jesus replied thus, " yea, 
rather blessed are they that hear the word 
of God and keep it." Some persons from a 
transient view of the matter, may infer from 
the expression " rather," and the remainder 
of the sentence, that Jesus intended a one 
side reproof to the female speaker, I view 
it otherwise; it looks to me like a ready as- 
sent, and followed by an important caution. 
The other instance of a female's speaking in 
public, is still more striking ; and it is dignir 
lied and solemn. At the time w T hen the holy 
child Jesus was presented in the temple 
at Jerusalem for the administration of the 
rite of circumcision, a venerable widow of 
the age of four score years, appeared in the 
house of the Lord, in the character of a 
prophetess, and bore a public testimony fer 
the infant Messiah. It is recorded by St. 
Luke that this Anna, Phanuel's widow, spake 
of Christ in the temple, to all them that looked 
for redemption in Jerusalem. Ancienr Anna 
was allowed to praise God, and exalt his 



31 



name in that magnificent temple ; but at this 
day ordinary houses, are so terrible by rea- 
son of ihe presence of mortal men, that our 
lips, my sister, mast never be opened before 
them. One female says to another " hold 
thy tongue, 5; for we maj^ not make mention 
of the name of the Lord before men. Some 
persons who are convinced that females have 
certain spiritual duties to perform, that lie 
beyond their own chimney corner and home 
nursery, are at a loss still to know when and 
how much liberty may be safelygiven them. 
1 dont say scripturally safely, as it respects 
male dignity ! some say flee away into con- 
ference meetings and prophesy there; but 
prophesy not at Bethel, for it is the king ? s 
chapel, it is the king's court. 

Many persons who advocate the female 
cause, in public speaking, quote to the wo- 
man of Samaria, as an instance of the same. 
I have likewise heard it objected against ; and 
her act called u a common errand." Com- 
mon or proper, public or private, preaching 
or prating, if 1 understand language, this wo- 
man first announced the appearance of the 
Saviour of Jew and Gentile, to the male citi- 
zens of Sychar a-city of Samaria, and she per- 



82 






shaded them to come to Jesus, and hear hi^ 
heavenly doctrine. They came, and many 
of them believed on him, while listening to 
.the woman's relation, and many mere believ- 
ed, when they heard him for themselves. A 
woman was the first Samaritan convert to the 
christian faith, and by a woman the procla- 
mation was given first in the city S/char, 
that Messiah was come-, fehe was instrumen- 
tal in a reformation, and it is written that 
^ whoso winneth souls is wise," w-hich is 
enough* Now my dear sister, what kind of 
■entertainment may we conclude, £ female 
w T ould receive in this polite age, who 
call upon siofu! men in a public street 
of one of our towns or cities, to repent of 
their evil deeds, and forsake them to follow 
him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote^ 
Jesus of Nazareth, doubtless she would be 
considered a subject for the insane hospital ; 
and perhaps threatened with the task in 
bridewell. 

I have heard the remark, that the New 
Testament is silent respecting female commis- 
sions to preach the Gospel. When Christ 
sent forth the twelve, we understand who 
afeey were jby Matthew and Mark^e account* 



83 

We know that women were not ordained liveti 
iipon that mountain, where the anointing, 
preaching and healing dispensation was first 
committed to mortals by the Son of God ; 
neither have we authority to say that wo- 
men were sent forth among the seventy, nor 
Can we positively declare they were not. — 
In advancing aught however m favour of the 
first position, I think I could not possibly 
feach beyond a hypothesis, and finally [ 
have no desire to view the strbject in that 
light. That Jesus never gare a commission 
to a female at all, however 1 deny. Jf the 
doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ 
from the dead, as the jirstifier of them who 
should believe on his name, constitutes a 
glorious branch of the' Cedar that is to be 
planted in every land, according to God's an- 
cient promise, " In the mountain of the heigh is 
of Israel, under whose ever verdant boughs 
dwell all fowl of every wing," then a very 
honourable commission was received by 
faithful Mary, from the lips of our risen Lord, 
on the morning, when he triumphantly arose 
from Josephs tomb. To Mary Magdalene* 
Zion's conquering king first appeared ; and 
calling her by name, Mary, said, " go to my 
brethren, and say unto them. I ascend tmfo 



84 



ftiy Father and your Father, and to my God 
and your God." It was a solemn message, 
and is quick and powerful to my poor heart* 
Mary went, she preached a risen Jesus. " I 
have seen the Lord" my brethren, dry your 
tears, our Saviour is alive, and hath sent me 
to announce to you his ascension back to 
heaven. , My dear sister, when I read the 
21st chapter of St. John's Gospel, I am not 
at a loss concerning the calling of females to 
speak in the praise of him who died to re- 
deem their souls, and extol the stem of Jes- 
se's rod, even in the great congregation. 
I believe also, that some female disciples 
are called and qualified by their living head, 
to visit churches, with messages from God, 
and to warn the wicked to flee from the 
wrath to come. This my dear sister, is my 
present opinion, my serious belief. I know 
it is unpopular, that it has comparative^ 
Iv few friends in the visible churches. I am 
acquainted with four denominations of chris- 
tians only, who are willing to allow any cre- 
dence to female testimonies in religious meet- 
ings, which I will now mention ; and in these 
is a diversity of views and opinions. I de- 
clare my dear sister, my poor heart is often 
torn with anguish, when I look at the breach.-, 



85 



es in Zion, the seamless garment of Christ, 
rent by his professed ambassadors, friends 
and followers, and his body newly crucified 
by those who cry hosannah ! 1 never ex- 
pect the churches universally to agree re* 
spGCtiog female gifts and labour in God's 
vineyard, until the watchmen see eye to 
eye, and all are of one heart and soul, in his 
worship and service* 

But to return ; The society of Friends, are 
full in their belief, that the gospel dispensa* 
tion exhibits the two sexes upon a level ; and 
that preaching, and the work of the ministry,. 
$re equally divided ; and they act consistent 
wkh this belief- Their women who travel 
to carry gospel tidings, receive the same ere- 
clradabas the males, are approbated by the 
elders in monthly and quarterly meetings, 
receive a certificate of approbation and fel- 
lowship ; are received as ministers of the 
Nev* Testament by all their sister branches*. 
vs-here they journey • Godly, devoted wora- 
en„ hare sailed from Atbion's shores, to visit 
America with the glad tidings of God's good 
will to earth, salvation to men ; and similar 
chvrj rers have left this happy land, on the 
g&n? employ, to preach Jesus ; on the opp.es- 



site side of the vast Atlantic. The memory 
of these highly favored females, who have' 
leased to blow the gospel trumpet, and sleep 
in Jesus, is held in sweet and sacred remem- 
brance, by the society whose visible felow-- 
ship, and christian patronage they enjoyed, 
while fulfilling the dispensation committed to' 
their trust. 

A few years since, I believe, engaged fe- 
male members of the Mct-hodist society, fre- 
quently improved their gifts in public wor- 
shipping assemblies. They are at present, t 
believe, allowed this liberty, in seasons of 
reformation ; and I am told, at their confer- 
ences and love feasts, females freefy speak 
or pray. I have seen some very lovely fe- 
male disciples, belonging to this denomina- 
tion whose gifts and graces, were apparent! v 
frtore Christii&e, than many ordaieecl : pastors* 
3nd bishops. 

The Society of Freewill Baptists, as far as*" 
I have been privileged with their acquaint- 
a nee, are free from prejudice on the subject ; 
they appear desirous to cherish spiritual 
gifts and graces among their female mem- 
4fF&5 and a-re conscientiously U oder i$ r>L 



37 

their movements toward them, as far as I 
have personal knowledge or information 
by report. In New Hampshire they are re-" 
markable candid respecting female preach- 
ing- 
. 

The Society sailed Christian (to the ex- 
clusion of all other names) the latest sect, I 
Relieve embodied in church form, in the 
U. S. A. permit their female members to oc- 
cupy upon their talents in public exhorta- 
tion and prayer. And no devoted female 
follower of Jesus, that 1 know of, ha* yet 
been deprived of this liberty in the connec- 
tion called Christian. 

A few years since had any pen occu- 
pied upon my subject, the denomination call- 
ed Baptist, would not escape this list-— but 
now they are in a situation to avoid the dis- 
grace. Sometimes a venerable preacher 
or two, will condescend to notice the subject, 
by preaching a whole sermon against it, af- 
ter a female stroller has been holding forth 
in his atmosphere. One minister very seri- 
pusly observed, that had he a female rela- 
tion, who travelled and spoke in public, he 
should request her either to drop these pro* 
feedings, or remove to $ part of the cout£ 



83 

try very distant from him. On. my part, I 
can say, he i s welcome to go himself ; and 
if he please may r^-cross the Atlantic, and 
breathe his last sigh upon his native shores, 
it would not cost ine a tear of sorrow. 

The four societies I have mentioned, my 
dear sister, which favor in a greater or less 
degree, the subject 1 am discussing, I assure 
you have special regard to the moral con- 
duct of their labourers and ministers. No 
deviation from the rules of decency and 
ethical correctness, is countenanced among 
them. As far as I am acquainted with their 
regulations and movements, I view them 
patrons of strict morality. 

Farewell. 



LETTER IX. 

I am now come as far as to Bethany, 
where the event foretold in the message de- 
livered by Mary takes place. The everlast- 
ing gates of heaven, are lifted up to receive 
the King of Glory, the Lord of hosts, the di- 
vine mediator, the church's advocate, the 
believing penitent's kind Intercessor, friend 
and Saviour. Holy angels lend their celes- 
tial pinions, and move towards this terrestial 
ball, clapping their glad wings in rapturous 
exultation at the return of the Son of God, to 
his throne in glory. Jesus our Lord is hid 
from the gazing disciples, the skies cement 
again — he is hid from their mortal eyes. — 
IVe will now attend to the movements of his 
primitive followers after the ascension of' 
Christ to his Father. 

They returned immediately fvoxn Mount 
Olivet to Jerusalem, a short journey of about 
seven miles. There they retired to an up- 
per room, to wait for the descent of the Holy 
Ghost, as their blessed master directed them 
to do. Peter and James, John and Andrew, 
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Mat- 
thew. James the son of Alphcus, Simon ?e- 

Hl 



90 



lotes, and Judas the brother of Jamrs. 5 — 
These saith St. Luke, all continued with oho 
accord in prayer and supplication, with the 
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus and 
with his brethren. The women we re not de- 
barred the privilege of this church meeting. 
And when the day of Penticost was fully 
come, they were ALL with one accord inrouc 
place. And now the miraculous descent of 
the Holy Ghost was witnessed ; and they 
were ail filled with his influence, and began 
to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave 
them utterance. It appears this was a pub- 
lic meeting ; and opposers of the Nazarcne's 
company mocked at the solemn scene : and 
charged the disciples with drunkenness.- — 
Peter then rose to defend the gospel, and 
preached a powerful sermon, by which three 
thousand souls were converted at once. His 
text was the prophecy of Joel, relating (o 
this out-pouring Of the holy spirit, and con- 
taining God's declaration concerning fen ?Je 
prophecy. If you meditate my sister, on 
Peters manner of introducing the passage. 
I think you will agree with me in the opinion 
that women spake in that great meeting ns 
the spirit gave them utterance. The spirit 
of prophesy, we find among the gifts o! CqjJ, 



SM 



^n board the gospel ship; and females arc 
interested therein, and continued to proclaim 
a risen Christ. The word " prophesying," 
has been objected to by some persons with 
whom I have conversed upon this sufctjject. 
Prophesying, say they, is foretelling future 
events. Gospel prophesying, is not defined 
thus by Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ.— 
He says it is speaking unto men, to exhorta- 
tion, edification, and comfort.* John the 
writer of Revelations, remarked that the 
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 
Now the writer of the Acts of the Apostles, 
mention four prophetesses in Philip's family* 
who also preached the kingdom of God. To 
this good man's house, Paul and his compa- 
ny came ; and no command from the great 
Apostle can we find that these four virgins 
shall resign their testimony, nor let it ring 
again. 

The strength of opposers to female preach- 
ing lies in a charge Paul gives respecting the 
women at Corinth, and his directions to Tim- 
othy. I will now give you my mind on this 
head. 1st. 1 will observe, the apostle fc* 

*1C$|>14,3*. Rev, 17, K>. 



92 



writing to a particular church. 2d. Ehf 
says to that church, " Let your women keep 
silence in the churches ; for it is not permit- 
ted unto them to speak ; but they are com- 
manded to be under obedience, as also saith 
the law. And if they will learn any thing, 
let them ask their husbands at home , for it 
is a shame for women to'speak in the church." 
How can any rational, candid, meditative 
christian, direct this language of the Apostle* 
to female disciples at large, in meetings for 
the worship of God ? Has he not in a pre- 
ceding chapter, given directions concerning 
women's praying and prophesying ? Would 
this holy man undertake a revocation of the 
almighty will ? God declares his handmai- 
dens shall prophecy in the last days ? Can 
we charge Paul with contradicting God ? I 
dare not indulge the idea. I will try a dis- 
section of the text. 1st. Let your women 
(not let all women every where) keep si- 
lence in the churches. Whose women ? The 
Corinthians— keep silence. Where ? In the 
churches. In church meetings for business 
certainly. You will recollect in my second 
letter, I mentioned briefly, the situation of the 
church at Corinth, at the time the apostle 
vrote to thetru I will now remark farther, 



93 

that female members of that Church hadf 
conducted in a very unbecoming manner in- 
their church meetings, opposing and contra- 
dieting the brethen ; usurping authority over 
them, which the apostle forbids next, for it h 
not permitted unto them to speak, that is, ia 
meetings of the church for business ; they 
are to be in subjection to the men, as also 
saith the law. With regard to the first, I 
view myself to be subject to my brethren, 
who are standing in the counsel of God, 
when I obey the spirit of the Lord, in speak- 
ing in meetings for his worship, when he bids 
me; and if I keep silence in disobedience, I 
should view myself a violater of the law of 
subjection, &c. With regard to the other, 
K as the law saith," I believe on that ground 
female prophesying may rest ; for Deborah. 
Miriam, and Huldah anciently took posses- 
sion, by the will of God. Again. " and if 
they will learn any thing, let them ask their 
husbands at home :" surely it is manifest this 
related to particular women in that church, 
and offending, insolent ones too. The apos- 
tle does not address me, for I never had a 
husband ; and if 1 had, and the man was not 
a christian, I should by no means expect any 
spiritual instruction frotji him. These words 



94 



p£ the apostle's, are to me a very strong 
proof, that his prohibition reached only to 
church meetings for business. Again, " for 
it is a shame for women to speak in the 
church ;" it is a shame and sin, O Corinthan 
women, for you to interfere in the discipline 
of the church ; and by commandment of the 
Lord, I write tnis, to forbid your repeating 
the offence, |$y some w T orldly, and bigottea 
professors, 1 niay be charged with interpola* 
tion ; but my own heart condemns me not in 
this* thing, therefore I have confidence to-r 
ward God, who knoweth all things, forever 
adored and magnified be |iis great .name. 
Amen. 

In his epistle to Rome, and Philippi, Paul 
very kindly and respectfully notices his fe- 
male friends and helpers in Christ Jesus^ 
while the women at Cprinth receive only cor- 
rection, which they deserved. Please to at- 
tend to his visit at Philippi. The inspired 
penman states, that Paul received a commis- 
sion to carry the glad tidings pf gospel grace, 
into Macedonia, in a vision. Therefore he 
left Troas, came with a strait course to Sa- 
mothracia ; and the next day to Neapolie, 
from thence to Philippi, a populous city of 
Macedonia, m the Grecian Republic, ancl 



95 



tarried certain days. Timottieus accom- 
panied the apostle thither ; and on the Sab- 
bath, they repaired to the river side$ where 
prayer was wont to be made, and " spake to 
the women which resorted thither," from 
the expression " prayer was wont to be 
made," with a recollection of the apostle's 
call to this place, u come over and help us," 
see Acts xvi* 13 & 9. I conclude there were 
a few pious persons there, who had previ- 
ous to the apostle's visit, heard of JesuS and 
the resurrection, and it appears to me they 
were women only. Calmett, who wrote a 
dictionary of the bible so called, a folio work 
in three volumcs,containing two thousand and 
four hundred pa^es, states, that in the infancy 
of the church of Christ at Philippi, it wasdisci- 
plined and governed by two women, Euodias 
andSynfyche,wh6mPaul in the epistle addres- 
edto that branch at the Gospel vine, besought 
to be of the same mind in the Lord. Cal- 
mett observes there was a split between* 
them on doctrinal points ; and this drew the 
watch word from faithful PauPs pen. There 
is also in the same letter, an entreaty to a 
brother at Philippi, whom he calls " true 
yoke fellows," to help those women which 
labored with him i^the Gospel^who^e names 



96 



were in the book of life. Objectors against 
me will say, this labor was making clothes 
and the like. Ah! does Paul say they la- 
boured for me ? No, they laboured with 
tne in the Gospel. Will salary ministers who 
wear the surplice and read notes, tell me 
that their wives are engaged in the work of 
the ministry ? Labouring in the Gospel, must 
be allowed s©unding the trumpet, or I think 
language suffers violence •, and the violent 
taketh away its true meaning by unhallowed 
force. I wish every objector to female la- 
bourers in the vineyard of the Lord, would 
make diligent search for the true motive, the 
ground of their dislike, and see what founda- 
tion it stands on, and whether it is their order 
they are tenacious about, or God's order, 
whether a selfish principle lurks at the bot- 
tom, or a godly jealousy for the honor of 
Christ's Church in its purity ! ! ! This I ar- 
dently desire ! ! ! A female's travelling 
abroad on Gospel errands, was suffered by- 
Paul, as well as l>is great Master ; and in the 
•sixteenth chapter of his epistle to the church 
at Rome, this chief among the ambassadors 
for Christ, most affectionately commends to 
the fellowship of his brethren, Phebe a ser- 
vant of the church at Ceuchrca, the port ol m 



9* 



Corinth, directing them to receive her in the 
Lord, as becometh saints, and assist her in 
whatsoever business she had need ; for said 
Paul " she hath been a succourer of many 
and myself also." As to the particular ob- 
ject of Phebe's visit to Rome, we can ascer- 
tain no more than it was of a godly sort ; 
and received the apostle's commendation. — 
She carried PauPs letter, and some persons 
suppose this w r as the object of her journey $ 
but the writer of the epistle gives no such 
intimation. Qalmett mentions Phebe as a 
deaconess in the Cenchrean church and em- 
minent for godliness. 

In the second verse of the sixteenth chap- 
ter, the apostle greets Aquila and Priscilln, 
as his helpers in Christ Jesus. 1 believe he 
mentions the woman first, however, in this 
pious couple, we have an instance of a man 
and woman drawing; together in an even 
yoke— they were both endued with divine 
knowledge of the kingdom and patience of 
Jesus Christ ; and were zealous for his hon- 
our and glory. It appears they were in- 
strumental in greatly advancing the useful- 
ness of eloquent A pottos of Alexandria, who 
gratefully attended to their united testimony 



9S 



^ef Jesus and the resurrection. He became 
a very successful pieacher of the Gospel at 
Achaia, assisting the minds of them " which 
had believed through Jesus ;" and mightily 
convincing the Jews, and that publicly, shew- 
ing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ, 
Paul in writing about Priscilla and Aquila 
says u who have for my life laid down their 
own necks ;unto whom not only 1 give thanks, 
but also all the chuj^hes of the Gentiles. "— 
The apostle in this chapter notices several 
female labourers beside, such as Persis, who 
labored much in the Lord, Tryphene and 
Tryphosa, Mary, Urbane, &c. So far am I 
removed from doubts respecting women's 
duties, on the score of Paul's address 
to the Corinthians, that I view him a strong 
advocate for female liberty in the church of 
Christ; and doubtless he is a ministering an- 
^el to the weeping Marys and godly Phebes 
in the present day. 1 really wish that min- 
isters now possessed the heaven-born zeal, 
the true discernment, and ardent love which 
so brilliantly shone in the character of Paul, 
with his disinterested, laborious, indefatiga- 
Jble disposition to exertion in spreading Em- 
manuel's fame, how ardent, how faithful was 
the converted pupil of Gamaliel ! Is not the 



99 



finger of God pointing ministers to his history, 
" read and go and do likewise ?" 

1 shall briefly notice, the 11th, 12th, 13th 
and 14th verses of Paul's 2d chapter to Tim- 
othy, 1st Epistle. 

;i Let the woman learn in silence with all 
/abjection. But 1 sutler not a woman to 
| teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, 
but to be in silence. For Adam was first 
1 formed, then Eve. And Adam was not de- 
ceived, but the woman being deceived was 
: in the transgression." 

I am going my dear Julia, to give you a 

: statement of my views of these passages. — 

! And while 1 take so much liberty as tQ think, 

believe and act for myself, 1 am perfectly 

willing my dear fellow mortals should be 

1 equally free. 

It is my opinion, this direction to Timothy, 
is connected particularly with the address 
to them at Corinth, who professed Christ ; at 
least, I do think it probable. If an objecftor 
should puff at this as an absurd hypothesis, 
founded in air, I shall not be surprised ; for 
if this hedge were removed completely awa^" 



106 



-groin the female path, they mtist of cotrrse- 
run clear of the imputation of disobedience 
to a dear apostle of the Lamb ; and their op- 
posers grand desideratum lie in oblivion's 
shade. But to return. The 1st Epistle of 
Paul to Timothy, was addressed to the lat- 
ter from Laodicea, while Timothy tarried at 
Ephesus. It is apparent to me that Timo- 
thy at this time was young, and comparative-* 
ly very inexperienced. Now if you will 
please to turn to the last chapter of the 1st 
Epistle to the Corinthians, you will find this 
young candidate for a Bishop's office is men- 
tioned, and an intimation given of an inten- 
tion to visit them ; verse 10. "NowifTi- 
jnotheus come, see that he may be with 
you without fear^ for he worketh the work 
of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man there* 
fore despise him." Note — to Timothy, " let 
no man despise thy youth.". 3d Chap, 12th 
verse. Observe the connexion. It strikes 
me that Paul, after hearing by a member of 
the house of Chloe, concerning the disorders 
at Corinth, dreaded young Timothy's con- 
templated visit ; and he wrote to beseech 
him to abide still at Ephesus. The apostle, 
however, laid no commands, either way, 
Timothy was left a free man. It appears to ! 






101 



me that Paul was rather confident that) oth- 
erwise, that Timothy would visit Corinth ; 
and dreaded the interview he must of course 
have with those spiritually haughty, usurp- 
ing women ; therefore he annexes a charge 
concerning the matter. I view it in this 
light, 12th and 13th verses — You would 
see a smile upon the countenance of your 
friend, my dear Julia, were yott here, as she 
takes up Paul's arguments/or Adam was first 
formed then Eve." Yes, sainted Apostle of 
the lowly Lamb of God, it was even so — 
Adam was created first \ and when an Al- 
mighty hand was forming the woman, a di- 
vine voice proclaimed she was to be a help 
meet for man in God's work — forgive me 
sainted spirit, I mean no controversy. Again, 
verse 13. "And Adam was not deceived, 
but the woman being deceived was in the 
transgression." O, my beloved brother Paul, 
you cannot surely mean to screen Adam en- 
tirely. Let us consult him, in the 5th chap- 
ter to the Romans. Here the apostle says, 
that " death reigned from Adam to Moses, 
even over them that had not sinned after the 
similitude of Adam's transgression — for if by 
one man's offence, death reigned by one,"&e* 
and " by one man's disobedience many were 

11 






102 



made sinners," &c. I shall now take nvjr 
leave of the apostle. I believe I have col- 
lected the principal goods and chattels, that 
belong to the female houses of Israel, Jewish 
and Christian, ancient and modern, which 
are found in the ship, or church, 
And I must be allowed a short recess. 

Farewell. 



tt)3 

LETTER X 

WE have viewed the female character in 
ter native bower, blooming Eden the garden 
of delights — we have traced her wander- 
ings, after her banishment from thence into 
the asylum of the church, when almighty 
wrath was poured upon the world that lay in 
wickedness ; and with rapture view the ark 
resting upon the top^f moirnt Arrarat, seven 
months and seventeen days from the com- 
mencement of the deluge. We see her againi 
in the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac 
and Jacob — find her by Egypt' s river, with 
Moses in her arms, a weeping infant, 
snatched by her tender hand from a watery 
grave. We recognize her again among a 
great multitude on the banks of deliverance, 
and hear her loud timbrel sounding Israel's 
victory 

u Over Egypt's dark sea, 
Jehovah hath triumphed— - his people are free." 

Again we have beheld her seated beneath 
a Palm tree in a grove which shaded hep 
dwelling between Ramah and Bethel, whose 
luxuriant branches as they waved over -her 



104 



he&d, were expressive of her upright an<} 
constant mind; there she appears in the 
character of Israel's Judge and counsellor ; 
we have seen her at the head of an army by 
captain Barak's side, marching to Kedesh, 
and view her return home, with the palm of 
victory, and an inspired song ; we have no- 
ticed her in the lovely form of a ministering 
afrgel, to aged bereaved Naomi ; seen her a 
modest, diligent gleaner in the rich man's 
field, and afterward his happy consort ; in 
the great College at Jerusalem, seat of an- 
cient science, we meet her again ; before her, 
priest Hilkiah, with four men, sent by Judah's 
monarch to ask counsel of God, and herself 
the oracle ; we have heard her message, and 
seen it verified ; she is a prophetess of the 
Lord, whose word rested in her heaven born 
soul ; in the house of God at Shiloh, we have 
seen her weeping and praying; anon in the 
same temple of peace, she is rejoicing and 
praising the great Jehovah Jireh ; again we 
view her graceful form in Ahasuerus court, 
where she is known as a saviour of the banish- 
ed seed. Thus far have we pursued the fair 
fugitive from Eden, the land of her nativity, 
along the path-w&y of the law, till we arrive 
at the banks of the gospel stream, and get on 






JQ5 

board the christian ship, Emmanuel's church. , 
Here the female character glows with the 
bloom of morning, in lovely Mary, mother 
to the king of kings, righteous Elizabeth, in- 
spired Anna, devoted Phebe, and many more 
are occupants of those ranks, that in the first 
resurrection, will shine as the brightness ot 
the firmament, terrible as an army with ban- 
ners. 

Having taken this view of female charac- 
ters in both testaments, it might be suggested 
that I should be content. 1 feel, however, 
rather desirous of taking a peep, through the 
lattice, opened by John the Revelator, m 

, fair Zion's wall, and search for women in the 
New Jerusalem, that city in the skies. t And 
I behold her clothed with the sun of righte- 
ousness, this vain world beneath her feet, up- 
on her head a crown of twelve stars, symbols 
cal of the twelve patriarchs of God, or apos- 

! ties of the Lamb; and more expressive ot 
the twelve dispensations from I^oah, to the 

i end of the world. Now I am contented 
woman shall reign with Christ, and the an- 
cient fathers, the holy prophets, and inspired 
apostles ; by the blood of the Lamb, and the 
word of her testimony, shall every peniten- 



106 



tial Mary come off conqueror through Jesus, 
her exalted prince and Saviour, to whom be 
glory, forever and ever. Amen. 



107 

LETTER XI. 

PERHAPS it may appear to my dear sis- 
ter as she comes to the close of my tenth 
letter, that my subject is worn out ; and I 
should do well to lay away my pen. This 
1 would gladly do was my mind free ; for 
writing is an arduous employment for my 
debilitated nerves to encounter ; and I can 
say truly, the preceeding pages are traced 
through tribulation's deep, and much weari- 
ness to the flesh. My conscience bears me 
witness as to the sincerity of my intentions, 
in giving this little work to a prejudiced 
world. 1 have not felt insensible to my weak- 
ness and insufficiency, while I have held the 
unconscious pen ; and I am not blind to some 
of the faults of this composition. Faults 
there are doubtless in my feeble attempts to 
speak or write on the subject of religion; in 
all things I come short of His glory, in whose 
sight even the heavens are not pure ; and the 
angelic order before his burning throne are 
charged with comparative folly* Should the 
reader of this little work, discover errors in 
every sentence, I give them leave to put it 
to frjul mortality's account, I will bear it my 
sister, and should arav of truth be seen here 



1«8 

and there by lovers of that charity that rfev* 
er faileth, give God the glory, it is his due $ 
and all glory belongs to his name* 1 have 
viewed the subject^ I have attempted to de- 
fend, too solemn lo be trifled with and treat- 
ed with contempt; and while I have seen and 
felt, that it wa$ " to the Jews a ltumbling 
block and to Greeks foolishness," my heart 
has mourned and I have desired error might 
fall, and truth conquer} and knowing that 
whatever will weigh in the balance of the 
sanctuary, the scriptures of truth, must be in 
God's esteem^a fit article for tabernacle use, 
and temple service, I have thought it expedi- 
ent to bring the subject of female preaching 
to this only stire text, as I live in a day when 
a number of my sex are essaying to blow the 
stiver trumpet, and publish salvation to a dy- 
ing world. As to myself, I caa say I am 
the least of all ; and if I know my own heart, 
it is not my canse I have plead, but a cause 
dear to Emmanuel, and should be dear to all 
his lowly followers. I have felt impresions, 
and struggles in this oral warfare, that have 
shook my clay cottage to its centre, and 
threatened its dissolution. Perhaps, my sis- 
ter, the severest partis gone by. i may not 
-iavc much more to say in congregations on 



mortality's shore ; nor much mof e to suffer 6ft 
account of derision, cruel mockings and re- 
buke* I long to be better prepared for my 
departure. I do thirst for a Christ-like, mind* 
1 know the Lamb's company are a holy 
company* A white robtfof sweet humility, 
a helmet of purifying hope^ the mantle of 
fervent charity, girdle of unwavering truth, 
and shoes of gospel peace* are absolutely 
necessary and freely given to all who earn-- 
estly strive, carefully watch$ and humbly 
pray* And I want, neither to sink into dis- 
couragements on one hand, as I view my un« 
worthiness 5 nor be flattered on the other, in 
thinking myself, something, if I am nothing* 
But I must quit self, for the present. I may 
by and by, say something more respecting 
my own exercises* 

I observed there were at the present day. 
a humber of females who attempt to sound 
salvation in Jesus name. Since my return to 
New Hampshire^ I have heard it named, 
that never before in this country^ was such 
a time known concerning female testimony ; 
ahd I believe it. If it is ah evil, my sister, 
it is a growing one — -it threatens to become 
a great tree. 'If as the calvinistic order of 
missionary characters profess to believe^ th£ 

K 



clawn of a glorious day, called " millennium^ 
has blest this lower world by its heavenly 
rays, 1 ask, is encreasing zeal among the 
daughters of Zion* to be Reprobated and 
cast out ? Many are to run to and fro, and 
^knowledge is to encrease, not ignorance to 
bear sway in that blest era^ long since for©* 
told by ancient prophets, when Zion should 
arise and shine, when the light of Jerusalem 
should go forth as brightness and her salva- 
tion as a lamp that burnetii ! 

Errors, palpable, and dangerous errors, 
generally owe their growth and increase, to 
dark shades^ as in the night all the beasts of 
the forest do creep forth : truth springs up 
in the light, when the sun of righteousness 
bursts through the clouds, and shines most 
brightly. 

If female testimony, be an evil, it is an 
increasing one, eight years ago, a " Baptist 
female preacher," was an object ot wonder, 
Astonishment, and curiosity, beyond account: 
never was there the like before ! " A woman 
pray?" u and speak?" "What will come 
«ext ?" u O ! til go to the meeting ; 
for what can a woman say f ' the " nine 
days wonder ceases ; ,v contempt, dislike, 
and prejudice remain 5 the cause is spreading* 
fh. tke Freewill Baptist Society, a*d the 



Ill 

Christian Connection, are a nutnber of these 
u novelties,' ' now moving along the despised 
path ; and they prophesy in the name of the 
Lord, their efforts are sometimes blest^ with 
the confirmation, " signs following 5." female 
trumpeters sound the &larm r w behold the 
avenger of blood," O sinner is on thy track t 
" escape for life," fly to the cross, u repent 
and be converted," and: some hear, fear and 
take warnings They sound again, "back- 
sliders, the blood of the covenant cries out 
over your wanderings, return to your 
only city of refuge,, the gospel of Jesus, and 

f)repare to, meet your God !"' some have re- 
ented, and returned weeping to their fathers 
house^ " I have signed against heaven and 
in thy sights and am na more worthy to be 
called thy son, make me as one of thy hired 
servants/' 

As in : all churches, it is to be feared 
are hypocritical professors of Christian- 
ity, who rightfully belong to the class, of 
which Judas Iscaribt is leader, Annanias and 
Sapphira, his decendants, and Demas, Dio- 
trephes, Alexander the coppersmith, and Si- 
mon the Sorcerer, their adherents, so among^ 
public teachers of religion I greatly fear,, 
are false hearted men, whc*^ teach for hire,'* 
and like Ahimaaz, they run without tidings 



112 



having only seen a tumult. Insincerity, 
downright hypocrisy, zeal not according to 
knowledge, and many more poisonous weeds, 
are too apt to grow also in the ground of the 
female heart. Alas ! alas ! I cannot lawful- 
ly screen my sex, nor exclude myself from 
the charge of fallibility, and in-dwelling sin. 
Applause is as tempting to the weaker vessel, 
as it is to the other sex : censure is as much 
dreaded by them, and very likely more so, 
than by men in general. If therefore, female 
testimony was esteemed honorable, just, and 
commendable, by the majority of professed 
christians in this land of liberty, where no 
Christ opposing haughty Herod, Domitian, 
or Nero, are allowed to imprison banish, or 
put to death God's witnesses, if this were the 
case, my dear sister, your unworthy scribe 
iarould distrust herself, and doubt her exer- 
cises, more frequently ; and more justly than 
she now does. I am aware, however, there 
is danger of deception by the strong holds, 
which sin has reared in the human heart, 
darkening the path way of duty, by the 
5hadesofself-suflkiency,self-dependence,self* 
righteousness, and spiritual pride, just as the 
damp night shades obscure the beaten track* 
to the sorrow of the way-worn watchful travel- 
ler, who mourns too late, his foll^ and delay ; 
for I view these sins, my sister^ to be tha 



113 



wretched offspring of ignorance, of ourselves, 
and of God; and laziness, the prime minister 
in her dark domain. Indolence said the wri- 
ter of an admired Essay on self-knowledge, 
is the constitutional sin of mankind. I have 
great cause to lament native and habitual in- 
dolence, by whose influence I have been kept 
in too great ignorance of myself. I hope I 
do sincerely mourn, sometimes, before the 
Lord, my stupidity and negligence ; and I 
pray he will more thoroughly renovate my 
poor, wicked heart, and purely purge away 
niy dross, and refine me that 1 maybe a ves- 
sel fit for his sacred use ! 

I return from this digression. Although 
the temptations laid in woman's way at the 
present crisis are comparatively very few, to 
excite her to appear publicly in the charac- 
ter of a christian witness, yet I know there 
are some powerful incentives to a converted 
heart. Hope, rosy maid, presents a fragrant 
wreath of never withering flowers, to the fe- 
male pilgrim, composed of the young con- 
vert's love, the mature believer's benediction, 
the plaudits of sweet angels, and approving 
smiles of Heaven's Great King. The ex- 
citement is almost overpowering to a host of 
objections that resist her entrance to the tp* 
cred work, although numerous audbri 3 
K2 



114 



the grasshoppers on the summer green. It 
appears to me, dear sister, that a hope of use- 
fulness, and pleasing God, must be the most 
powerful allurements to a female breast, in 
this case, while the inward call to bear this 
cross, and a woe upon rejection and disobe- 
dience, most emphatically urge a resignation 
to an attempt ; and plead for a courageous 
onward move to the field o( battle. And O, 
what a war ensues f A christian poet, when 
painting the excellence and fruit of prayer 
observed that 

cc Satan trembles when he sees, 
The weakest saint upon its knees. w 

And I believe he as often trembles,when the 
female who loves Jesus supremely, ranges 
the world, to sound his testimony in the ears 
of dying mortals ; and in his alarm throws 
after her a great flood of sorrows, she hears 
the cry behind, u shattered,, unsteady, cra- 
zy, deluded, fanactic, wild fire, &c." and fre- 
quently finds that her reputation is prostrat- 
ed to the lowest mark of infamy, in the song 
of the drunkard ! Here is the fiery trial of 
her faith, here she receives the heaviest 
blows, that a frowning world can inflict. — • 
The fatigues and exposures, privations and 
sufferings from a variety of inconveniences^ 



IIS 



unavoidably connected with a travelling fe- 
male's course, sometimes prompt! the secret 
sigh, O that I were at rest in the silent grave,, 
where the wicked cease from troubling, and 
weary pilgrims sweetly, softly sleep* While 
her opposers are often among the nobles,* 
who are feasting at the costly board, walking 
upon the rich carpet, or chaunting to the 
sound of the viol trpon the merry dancing 
floor ; and others, of different character, as 
strongly prejudiced enjoy their domestic 
fire side, she wanders from place to place, 
always exposed more or less, to temptations, 
toils and snares, fightings without, and fears 
within, sometimes rebuffed by cold hearted 
professors, and betrayed rt>y false brethren 
and sisters, who are of all men and women 
the worst. Is there no cross to bear, judge 
you, my sister, in this calling ? Ah, 1 need 
not ask you ! I recollect the tears } r ou have 
shed over me, when you saw me on the bed 
of languishing ! The path of a female preach- 
er is not strewed with thornless roses in con- 
stant bloom ! No, the pointed briar of fa- 
tigue, pierces and wastes her tender flesh, the 
winds of cruel opposition often loudly roar 
around her apparently defenceless head ; and 
the waves of temptation beat upon her agita- 
ted bosom ; and sometimes she is ready to 
cry, " I shall surely fall one day : "sometimes 
K3 



H6 



she feels like a speckled bird, even among 
her own brethren; she says 1 am pressed O 
house of Israel by your coldness, formality, 
worldly conformity, and pride, as a cart is 
pressed under the sheaves ! I see breaches 
in Zion's walls; and the enemy'p parting 
lioof comes in, and defiles the dwelling place 
of the Most High : ah ! then her brethren 
and sisters turn away, saying, thou prophesi-. 
est out of thine own heart, and hast seen 
nothing. Among professed patrons of fe- 
male travelling gifts, and such as in their owe 
opinion are advocates for gospel liberty ; I 
think 1 have seen some persons, whose treat- 
ment of travelling females, wrote "tekeP 
upon their professions ; either the calling or 
gift they doubted. I have thought had they 
lived in Christ's day, what surprise must 
$(*rze their minds, to receive the news that 
Mary Magdalene was travelling about from 
city to city, with the Saviour, and his apos- 
tles ! isee Luke viii, 1, 2. We know how the 
proud Pharisee viewed the fair penitent, when 
she washed the blessed Jesus 5 feet, with her 
tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her 
head, pouring over them the costly ointment, 
and imprinting the greatful kiss. The Sa- 
viour's haughty host,who bade him to dinner, 
secretly despised this humble sacrifice. He 
did not believe her sincere,judging I supppse 



147 

T>y his own hypocritical heart, with \yhich he 
communed in the manner following, in which 
he seems to regard his divine guest as a de- 
ceiver. "This man, if he were a prophet 
would have known who and. what manner of 
woman this is that toucheth him ; for she is a 
sinner. See Luke vii. 39. The omniscient 
eye of Jehovah Rophi in humble Mary's 
estimation, was upon the heart of this whited 
sepulchre, whose cold insensibility and ob- 
duracy resembled the marble vessel she held 
in her hand, from whence streamed the con- 
secrated perfume; and he-was thus addressed 
by the Saviour of the world ; " Simon 1 have 
somewhat to say unto thee. There was a 
certain creditor which had two debtors ; the 
one owed five hundred pence and the other 
fifty* And they neither could pay the debt, 
so he frankly remitted both. Tell me there- 
fore which will love him most." The phar- 
isee replied, " I suppose he who was deepest 
in debt. Jesus then rehearsed the devout 
attentions of the woman, and contrasted with 
them his (the pharisee's) indifference, and 
pronounces all her sins forgiven. Lovely, 
condescending Lamb of God, how sweet 
must those heavenly accents fall on Mary's 
ear, " soft as the gentle dew upon the tender 
herb." No wonder she loved the Saviour 
mucht trayelled about with him to hear his 



118 



preaching, beheld the miracles he wrought, 
anointed his dear head with the odoriferous 
oil, ere it was crowned with thorns ; watch- 
ed the mournful tomb where Joseph laid the 
slain Lamb, and mourned because she could 
not find it to embalm with rich spices and 
perfume. Methinks she often in her day 
climbed Calvary's rugged brow, to view the 
trembling poplar, upon which her Lord hung 
three dreadful hours in torturing pain, and 
chaunted her notes of sacred gratitude upon 
the hallowed ground once wet with the stream 
from his side, 

*' Reason and virtues boasted sons, 
u Derive no blessings from this tree ; 

u For sinners only, Jesus diM, 

44 Then Mary sure he di'd for thee I 

44 Yes, with my griefs sweet Jesus groan'd 
u And with my guilt his soul was triM; 

44 My punishment he took, he bore, 
u And Mary lives, for Christ has di'd ; 

44 Awake my heart, my voice and tongue, 
, u |To praise him now he reigns above, 
w Nothing shall tune poor Mary's song, 
44 But Jesus 1 wisdom power and love.' 1 

1 have an impression^my dear sister, that 
the Pharisee who bade Jesus to dine, and 
witnessed his pardoning mercy to the wo- 
man, had heretofore seen her in prideand lux- 



119 



tlry ; and perhaps had beheld the Iuxurient 
tresses of the gay Magdalena, ornamented 
with the sparkling diamond and snowy pearl, 
and filled with choice perfume. The amaz- 
ing, sudden- change wrought upon her, was 
incomprehensible to his contracted mind : he 
therefore mocked in his heart at her tears, 
and despised her humble adoration of the 
Prince of Peace. Would to God, his diabol- 
ical pride, hypocrisy and hardness had died 
with him eternally, and no root remained in 
the human system. Alas, alas I ! But I 
must break off abruptly, being called for, to 
converse and pray with a sick female, in the 
same house where I now board. 

Farewell-, 



120 

LETTER XII. 

YOU may possibly wish me to subjoin to 
my defence of female preaching, a statement 
of my views concerning their latitude in the 
use or improvement of gospel gifts. 

Respecting the rise, progress and extent 
of the privileges and usefulness of women 
in the Church of Christ, should my opinion 
here be given, it is advanced as individually 
that is, for myself only, not to bind the con- 
science or determine the mind of another.- — 
On this principle, I will discover my belief 
on this critical and very delicate subject. 

The scriptures are silent respecting the 
ordination of females. I conclude it belongs 
only to the male sex. The title of evangel- 
ist, or minister, I do not find in the depart- 
ment of Anna, Priscilla, Phebe, or any other 
christian women, left in bible record. The 
administration of gospel ordinances, Bap- 
tism and the Lord's supper, uniting persons 
in marriage, I believe are confined to the 
male sex; and to me it exhibits an anti- 
christian spirit for a female to wish or believe 
them resting upon her. I do not believe 
the spirit of truth will influence a woman to 
ask for ordination, and the connected du- 
.ties, &c* &c. 



-121 



The gift of illustrating scripture in public 
religious assemblies, may be conferred upon 
devoted female saints ; this gift I cannot boast 
of ; I never conceived it 60 profitable as ex- 
hortation in a female testimony. Men, who 
possess this power to an eminent degree, are 
in danger of making shipwreck on the quick- 
sands of spiritual pride; women are in greater 
danger, on aecount of the general depression 
of their sex ; few women w T ear the laurel of 
gloyy ; rarity possesses a wonderful charm 
over the human mind ; such a key held in a 
female hand, while it bursts the lock on di- 
vine mysteries, is in danger of opening a door 
to self-importance and self-applause. Those 
women who possess this power, have cause 
to pray unceasingly to God for preservation 
from a spirit of exaltation through the 
abundance of revelations given them ; and 
very constantly guard every avenue to their 
hearts, lest spiritual pride should exert its 
destructive power, and prove their over* 
throw. 

Praying, exhorting, and singing in meet* 
ings, for the public worship of God, I believe 
belong to either sex, upon whom the Holy 
Ghost descends while waiting upon God, 
with his quickening and commanding influ- 
ences under the banner of Emmanuel's cross j 



»2» 

■.visiting and prayipg with the sick, 1 believe 
are duties very closely binding on the moth- 
ers in Israel ; exhorting and praying at buri- 
als may occasionally devolve upon female 
labourers in the Lord^s vineyard ; and pray- 
ing at the family altar, giving thanks for 
temporal food at the usual meal times, ex- 
horting children, and offering prayer in 
schools, all are, I believe demanded of the 
daughters of Zion, in proportion to their 
faithfulness, and devotion to the cause of 
God. 

I am not myself very much in favour of 
females taking the pulpit in this day of 
reigning prejudice, against female preaching ; 
let those small inclosurcs, generally esteem- 
ed so sacred,, be occupied by men only, is* 
my judgment ; but I will not insist on this 
point either way— let every one be fully- 
persuaded in her own mind I 

Journeying to> visit churches, appoint 
meetings, and in them (no matter how public) 
if the providence of God permit, and his di- 
vine spirit assist, to extol the stem of Jesse's 
rod, I really in my very heart do believe, 
betongs to the daughters- of Zion, as well as to 
the ministers of the gospel ; and woe to them 
who refuse or neglect gomgwlieii God calls-. 



123 

True this class of laborers are suflferkg 
characters, they are « hated by the world 
despised by fools" and laughed at by those 
whose eternal welfare lays near their hearts, 
for whom they mourn, weep and pray. 1 he 
sons and daughters of worldly prosperity 
cross the ocean, to serve themselves— eitner 
health, science or pleasure may tempt them 
to venture across the deep. "Gentlemen 
and Ladies" as they call themselves and 
one another, tan travel from Maine to Oiiio, 
for recreation, or lucrative purposes, and 
never incur a censure ; females in large ci- 
ties frequently resort to the theatre, where 
their sex are prime actors in diabolical 
scenes, whose foundation must be in hell. 
This is no dishonour, although the midnight 
hour overtake them, while sitting there t 
Survey the ball room— a throng of peo- 
ple, jumping about one another, panting 
for breath in the vain exercise of dan- 
eing-*the mother there, ^ whose tender 
babe requires her presence in the nursery— 
the matron, over whose head, perhaps forty 
summers have rolled in rapid succession ;: 
and even the venerable signal of old a^e, the 
" almond blossom," might if sought for, be- 
neath the borrowed tresses, or costly tur- 
ban, reveal the solemn truth that « the winds 
of sixty winters have wistled through tfecsfc 



124 






tranches/' but this— all this is polite—decenff 
innocent amusements — respectable recrea- 
tions* Ah ! let a female^vha loves the cause of 
Zion, and the souls of her fellow creatures^ 
travel to visit churches, and speak in meet- 
ings for the worship of God / and what a 
commotion is raised ! She is a disgrace to 
her sex, her relations and the name of reli- 
gion ! But 1 forbear— it is sufficient that God 
knoweth all things, to whom just judgment 
doth alone belong* 

1 feel my mind winding up, if I may use 
the expression, and shall soon drop my pen* 
Oh my dear sister, the execution of this lit- 
tle work, has been tome a most self-denying 
task, because I am convinced it must meet 
the public eye ; and am aware by popular 
prejudice it is likely to become, like the au- 
thor, an object of contempt* I have writ- 
ten a brief relation of my own exercises re- 
specting my retreat from the congregational 
church ■; Baptism by imersion, and travel- 
ling with the testimony of Jesus ; designing 
that it should be enclosed with this ; but on 
the whole conclude to publish it separate, 
which I purpose doing ere long, if God per- 
mit, to whose eternal and glorious name be 
ascribed all honour and praise* Amen* 



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